the.com/counterpoint
Two melodies arguing so gracefully it sounds like agreement.
means A melody or idea set against another so the two combine into a coherent whole, each gaining meaning from the contrast with the other.
from From medieval Latin 'contrapunctus,' literally 'point against point' — in early musical notation, notes were marked as dots or points on a staff, so adding a second melodic line against the first was quite literally plotting 'punctus contra punctum.' The term traveled through French 'contrepoint' into English, keeping its musical home turf for centuries before drifting into everyday use for any idea or element set in deliberate contrast to another.
- origin
- from punctus contra punctum, note against note
- rule of thumb
- independent lines, mutual respect, no unison allowed
- master
- bach wrote fugues like arguments with himself
- beyond music
- now means any sharp rebuttal with style