Polyphinite

Polyphinite

For many years, composers have looked to the writings of Joseph Fux (Gradus ad Parnassum), Kent Kennan (Counterpoint), or others as they attempt to study composition by means of a proven technique: Counterpoint. Counterpoint, while a fine methodology on its own, is becoming quite dated, even with contemporaries of mine doing in-depth studies on the subject. Even so, aspiring musicians continue to enroll in courses featuring several distinctive styles of counterpoint primarily from the 17th and 18th centuries. Although it certainly has an incredible wealth of benefits for those studying composition, theory, or general music, it would seem the time has come for the art of contrapuntal writing to evolve, or even go a couple new directions. One such method I have developed, ‘Polyphinite,’ is worthy of study by composers, theorists, and performers alike as it has the potential to give the world of music a new way of writing, performing, collaborating on, and understanding music. What if we could take counterpoint, and push it to its logical conclusion, to write fully independent pieces of music that act as parts of a greater whole? What if we could write a set of four solos, each with the same duration that, while well-written and appealing to concertgoers, also served as part of any number of instrument combinations? (In this case, 15) Each solo in this hypothetical collection of works would be part of three duets, three trios, and a quartet involving all four instruments. Is such a musical jigsaw puzzle even viable? Would we be able to write music that would make sense in such a manner? It is with this question that we begin our journey toward understanding Polyphinite.