2012 Winter History of Theory II Prof.

Tim Pack Joon Park Summary of Musical Guide (Musicalische Handleitung)by Friedrich Erhard Niedt (1674-1717)

Written in Hamburg in 1706 (contemporary of J.S. Bach)

It is heavily quoted by J.S. Bach's Precepts and principles

(unaltered) Bass is the foundation of harmony.

Complete departure from Tenor-centered treatises of preceding decades Complete separation of bass, harmony, and melody (approaching Galant style)

One of the earliest treatises on the diminution technique Written for eager learner and keyboardists Teaching how to turn thoroughbass into a composition or a successful improvisation

Fundamentally different from Fux's way of building up from 2 voice-counterpoint Niedt approaches it by elaborating a simple thoroughbass He himself looked at thorough-bass as a composition

the thorough-bass is a start in composing and can actually be called a compositionmade by him who performs the thorough-bass... (bk.1, V, p.32)

to develop automatic voice-leading habits from one figuring. (Lester)

Clear sense of departure from the ancient tradition Baroque-ism pleasing to the ear (bk.2, XI, 5, p.157) Neidt does not shy away from speaking up his opinion

Previous writers approached it by topoi (veritas, auctoritas, etc.) Colloquial

Those ignorant in music consider the word counterpoint a great, musical Wondrous Creature. I myself have often had to listen to such persons when they, especially when drunk (and then all fools are clever), wanted to discuss with one another the nature of wellcomposed piece...

Highlights from the reading Intervals:

Perfect Consonances

(perfect) fifth and octave The fourth is also commonly placed among the perfect consonances, because the fourth added above the fifth sounds perfect within an octave. However, eager learners and beginners are only confused by this. Therefore I wish to confined myself here to calling only those consonances which sound well together with the fundamental voice.

Imperfect Consonances

Third and sixth

because they can be altered (between major and minor not each other)

Perfect Dissonances

(perfect) fourth, falsche Quinta [diminished fifth], and the eleventh Seconds, sevenths, and eleventh

Imperfect Dissonances

Harmonic Triad (voicing)

The keyboard style

Contrary motion to avoid parallel perfect intervals

Not limited to a written-out composition

Both the harmonization and the bass can be broken (bk. 1, VII, pp.34-36) The archetype

broken harmony

broken bass

Dissonances should be prepared in general Exceptions:

Variation (diminution technique)

On both thorough-bass and chords Ranges from second to ninth In duple and triple meters Variation of the leap of an ascending fourth

Variation of the chord

Step towards a full-blown composition The archetype (bk.2, XI, 5, p.156) Chaconnized Trio-rized

Cadentialized

Elaborated Entrance