Voice crossing
Encyclopedia
In music, voice crossing is the intersection of melodic
lines in a composition, leaving a lower voice on a higher pitch than a higher voice (and vice versa). Because this can cause registral
confusion and reduce the independence of the voices, it is sometimes avoided in composition and pedagogical exercises.
, with examples appearing as early as John Cotton's treatise De musica (1100). Voice crossing is inherent in voice exchange
, which became an important compositional technique in the 12th and 13th centuries. Later, as different voices were thought of occupying more distinct vocal range
s, crossing is less frequent. In the 15th-century English discant
style, such as in the Old Hall manuscript
, the three voices rarely cross. In the three-part music of Guillaume Dufay
, a special use of voice crossing at the cadence
involves a Landini cadence
but has lower voice crossing to give a bass progression as in the modern dominant
-tonic
cadence. As four-part music became more established by the time of Johannes Ockeghem
, the top and bottom parts were less likely to cross, but the inner voices continued to cross frequently.
Voice crossing appears frequently in 16th-century music, to such a degree that Knud Jeppesen
, in his analysis of Renaissance polyphony
, said that without voice crossing "no real polyphony is possible." Voice crossing is less common when it involves the lowest voice, as it creates a new bass line for the calculation of the upper voices, though still it is by no means uncommon. Though it is common in the repertoire, voice crossing is sometimes avoided in strict counterpoint pedagogical exercises, especially when involving few voices. This is not always the case, however; Gradus ad Parnassum (1725), probably the most famous species counterpoint instruction book, includes an example using crossed voices early in the text.
In 18th-century contrapuntal writing, voices may cross freely, especially among voices in the same pitch location. It is, however, quite restricted in invertible counterpoint, since it makes the crossing in the inversion impossible. Canons at small harmonic intervals usually necessitate considerable voice crossing, and in a crab canon
it is inevitable at the midpoint. For this reason, many authors find that canons sound better when performed by voices of different timbre. In four-part chorale writing, voice crossing is infrequent, and again the most frequently crossed voices are the alto and tenor. Voice crossing is usually forbidden in pedagogical exercises in common practice chorale-style voice-leading, especially when involving an outer voice.
chorales, but again are discouraged or forbidden by most theory texts. In keyboard works, however, voice overlapping is considered appropriate.
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
lines in a composition, leaving a lower voice on a higher pitch than a higher voice (and vice versa). Because this can cause registral
Register (music)
In music, a register is the relative "height" or range of a note, set of pitches or pitch classes, melody, part, instrument or group of instruments...
confusion and reduce the independence of the voices, it is sometimes avoided in composition and pedagogical exercises.
History
Voice crossing appears in free organumOrganum
Organum is, in general, a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony, developed in the Middle Ages. Depending on the mode and form of the chant, a supporting bass line may be sung on the same text, the melody may be followed in parallel motion , or a combination of...
, with examples appearing as early as John Cotton's treatise De musica (1100). Voice crossing is inherent in voice exchange
Voice exchange
In music, especially Schenkerian analysis, a voice exchange is the repetition of a contrapuntal passage with the voices' parts exchanged; for instance, the melody of one part appears in a second part and vice versa...
, which became an important compositional technique in the 12th and 13th centuries. Later, as different voices were thought of occupying more distinct vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
s, crossing is less frequent. In the 15th-century English discant
Discant
Discant was a style of liturgical setting in the Middle Ages, associated with the development of the Notre Dame school of polyphony. It is a style of organum that includes a plainchant tenor part, with a "note against note" upper voice, moving in contrary motion...
style, such as in the Old Hall manuscript
Old Hall Manuscript
The Old Hall Manuscript is the largest, most complete, and most significant source of English sacred music of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and as such represents the best source for late Medieval English music. The manuscript somehow survived the Reformation, and until 1873 belonged to St...
, the three voices rarely cross. In the three-part music of Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay was a Franco-Flemish composer of the early Renaissance. As the central figure in the Burgundian School, he was the most famous and influential composer in Europe in the mid-15th century.-Early life:From the evidence of his will, he was probably born in Beersel, in the vicinity of...
, a special use of voice crossing at the cadence
Cadence (music)
In Western musical theory, a cadence is, "a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution [finality or pause]." A harmonic cadence is a progression of two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music...
involves a Landini cadence
Landini cadence
A Landini cadence , or under-third cadence, is a type of cadence, a technique in music composition, named after Francesco Landini , a blind Florentine organist, in honor of his extensive use of the technique...
but has lower voice crossing to give a bass progression as in the modern dominant
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
-tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
cadence. As four-part music became more established by the time of Johannes Ockeghem
Johannes Ockeghem
Johannes Ockeghem was the most famous composer of the Franco-Flemish School in the last half of the 15th century, and is often considered the most...
, the top and bottom parts were less likely to cross, but the inner voices continued to cross frequently.
Voice crossing appears frequently in 16th-century music, to such a degree that Knud Jeppesen
Knud Jeppesen
Knud Jeppesen was a Danish musicologist, composer, and writer on the history of music....
, in his analysis of Renaissance polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
, said that without voice crossing "no real polyphony is possible." Voice crossing is less common when it involves the lowest voice, as it creates a new bass line for the calculation of the upper voices, though still it is by no means uncommon. Though it is common in the repertoire, voice crossing is sometimes avoided in strict counterpoint pedagogical exercises, especially when involving few voices. This is not always the case, however; Gradus ad Parnassum (1725), probably the most famous species counterpoint instruction book, includes an example using crossed voices early in the text.
In 18th-century contrapuntal writing, voices may cross freely, especially among voices in the same pitch location. It is, however, quite restricted in invertible counterpoint, since it makes the crossing in the inversion impossible. Canons at small harmonic intervals usually necessitate considerable voice crossing, and in a crab canon
Crab canon
A crab canon—also known by the Latin form of the name, canon cancrizans—is an arrangement of two musical lines that are complementary and backward, similar to a palindrome. Originally it is a musical term for a kind of canon in which one line is reversed in time from the other . A famous example...
it is inevitable at the midpoint. For this reason, many authors find that canons sound better when performed by voices of different timbre. In four-part chorale writing, voice crossing is infrequent, and again the most frequently crossed voices are the alto and tenor. Voice crossing is usually forbidden in pedagogical exercises in common practice chorale-style voice-leading, especially when involving an outer voice.
Voice overlapping
A related phenomenon is "voice overlapping," where the voices do not cross per se, but they move together, and the lower voice passes where the upper voice was (or vice versa). For example, if two voices sound G and B, and move up to C and E. The overlapping occurs because the second note (C) in the lower voice is higher than the first note (B) in the upper voice. It leads to ambiguity, as the ear interprets the step from B to C in one voice, and is fairly consistently avoided in contrapuntal writing. Voice overlaps are common in BachJohann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
chorales, but again are discouraged or forbidden by most theory texts. In keyboard works, however, voice overlapping is considered appropriate.