counterpoint (koun(t)r,point/)
Complimentary ideas, arguments, or themes that illuminate each other when encountered side by side, especially in music.
Contrast is at the heart of great music. Fast and slow, loud and soft, tension and release, the counterpoint of voices – all are prominent in all genres of world music.
American composers in particular use contrast prominently in a variety of unique musical genres. That’s why the theme of this SF Mandolin Orchestra season is American Counterpoint. We’ll be exploring a variety American music and contrasting it to J.S. Bach’s Art of Fugue, one of the most famous works of counterpoint by one of the most popular European composers.
