Voice exchange
Encyclopedia
In music, especially Schenkerian analysis
, a voice exchange (German: Stimmtausch, also called voice interchange) 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. It differs from invertible counterpoint in that there is no octave displacement; therefore it always involves some voice crossing
. If scored for equal instruments or voices, it may be indistinguishable from a repeat
, although because a repeat does not appear in any of the parts, it may make the music more interesting for the musicians. It is a characteristic feature of round
s, although not usually called as such.
Patterns of voice exchange are sometimes schematized using letters for melodic patterns. A double voice exchange has the pattern:
Voice 1: a b
Voice 2: b a
A triple exchange would thus be written:
Voice 1: a b c
Voice 2: c a b
Voice 3: b c a
The first use of the term "Stimmtausch" was in 1903-4 by an article by Friendrich Ludwig, while its English calque
was first used in 1949 by Handschin. The term is also used, with a related but distinct meaning, in Schenkerian theory.
as a consequence of imitation
. Voice exchange first became common in the Notre Dame school
, who used both double and triple exchanges in organa
and conductus
(in particular the wordless cauda
e). In fact, Richard Hoppin
regarded voice exchange as "the basic device from which the Notre Dame composers evolved ways of organizing and integrating the simultaneous melodies of polyphony," and of considerable importance as a means of symmetry and design in polyphonic music as well as starting point for more complex contrapuntal
devices. The importance was not lost on theorists of the time, either, as Johannes de Garlandia
gave an example, which he called "repetitio diverse vocis," and noted in "three- and four-part organa, and conductus, and in many other things."
In Perotin
's four-part organum "Sederunt principes," sections that are exchanged vary considerably in length, from two to more than ten measures, and parts that are exchanged are sometimes nested (i.e. there is a brief voice exchange among two parts within a larger section which subsequently is repeated using a voice exchange). The elaborate patterns of voice exchange in pieces like "Sederunt" prove that Perotin composed them as a whole, not by successively adding voices.
In the 13th century, the technique was used by English composers of the Worcester school as a structural device. In the genre rondellus
, as described by the theorist Walter Odington
(c. 1300), the central part of the piece was based entirely on voice exchange. Ordinarily, but not always, the text is exchanged along with the melody. It also appears in the lower parts (pes) of Sumer is icumen in
, while the upper parts always include a new melodic phrase instead of a true voice exchange.
Voice exchange gradually died out after 1300, due to the gradual separation of voice ranges and the expansion of the ambitus
of a composition. However, it occasionally made limited appearances in simple polyphony of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and was for example common in the upper parts of Baroque
trio sonata
s.
of the third (generally as part of a triad), a preservation of the harmony across a time span. Another type of exchange has the interval succession 10-10-6-6 (or 6-6-10-10), and involves a pair of notes exchanged across parts.
Schenkerian analysis
Schenkerian analysis is a method of musical analysis of tonal music based on the theories of Heinrich Schenker. The goal of a Schenkerian analysis is to interpret the underlying structure of a tonal work. The theory's basic tenets can be viewed as a way of defining tonality in music...
, a voice exchange (German: Stimmtausch, also called voice interchange) is the repetition of a contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
passage with the voices' parts exchanged; for instance, the melody of one part appears in a second part and vice versa. It differs from invertible counterpoint in that there is no octave displacement; therefore it always involves some voice crossing
Voice crossing
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...
. If scored for equal instruments or voices, it may be indistinguishable from a repeat
Repetition (music)
Repetition is important in music, where sounds or sequences are often repeated. One often stated idea is that repetition should be in balance with the initial statements and variations in a piece. It may be called restatement, such as the restatement of a theme...
, although because a repeat does not appear in any of the parts, it may make the music more interesting for the musicians. It is a characteristic feature of round
Round (music)
A round is a musical composition in which two or more voices sing exactly the same melody , but with each voice beginning at different times so that different parts of the melody coincide in the different voices, but nevertheless fit harmoniously together...
s, although not usually called as such.
Patterns of voice exchange are sometimes schematized using letters for melodic patterns. A double voice exchange has the pattern:
Voice 1: a b
Voice 2: b a
A triple exchange would thus be written:
Voice 1: a b c
Voice 2: c a b
Voice 3: b c a
The first use of the term "Stimmtausch" was in 1903-4 by an article by Friendrich Ludwig, while its English calque
Calque
In linguistics, a calque or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal, word-for-word or root-for-root translation.-Calque:...
was first used in 1949 by Handschin. The term is also used, with a related but distinct meaning, in Schenkerian theory.
History
Voice exchange appeared in the 12th-century repertory of the St. Martial schoolSt. Martial School
The Saint Martial School was a medieval school of composition centered in the Abbey of Saint Martial, Limoges, France. It is known for the composition of tropes, sequences, and early organum. In this respect, it was an important precursor to the Notre Dame School.Most of the manuscripts that are...
as a consequence of imitation
Imitation (music)
In music, imitation is when a melody in a polyphonic texture is repeated shortly after its first appearance in a different voice, usually at a different pitch. The melody may vary through transposition, inversion, or otherwise, but retain its original character...
. Voice exchange first became common in the Notre Dame school
Notre Dame school
The group of composers working at or near the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris from about 1160 to 1250, along with the music they produced, is referred to as the Notre Dame school, or the Notre Dame School of Polyphony....
, who used both double and triple exchanges in organa
Organum
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...
and conductus
Conductus
In medieval music, conductus is a type of sacred, but non-liturgical vocal composition for one or more voices. The word derives from Latin conducere , and the conductus was most likely sung while the lectionary was carried from its place of safekeeping to the place from which it was to be read...
(in particular the wordless cauda
Cauda
The Cauda is a characteristic feature of songs in the Conductus style of a cappella music which flourished between the mid-12th and the mid-13th century. The conductus style placed strict rules on composition, and some such rules were devoted to the cauda, which came at the penultimate syllable of...
e). In fact, Richard Hoppin
Richard Hoppin
Richard Hallowell Hoppin was an American musicologist.Hoppin received his BA from Carleton College in 1936 after spending two years at the Paris Ecole Normale de Musique. He studied at Harvard University, obtaining his MA in 1938, and taught at Mount Union College from 1938 to 1942...
regarded voice exchange as "the basic device from which the Notre Dame composers evolved ways of organizing and integrating the simultaneous melodies of polyphony," and of considerable importance as a means of symmetry and design in polyphonic music as well as starting point for more complex contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
devices. The importance was not lost on theorists of the time, either, as Johannes de Garlandia
Johannes de Garlandia
Johannes de Garlandia may refer to:* Johannes de Garlandia * Johannes de Garlandia...
gave an example, which he called "repetitio diverse vocis," and noted in "three- and four-part organa, and conductus, and in many other things."
In Perotin
Pérotin
Pérotin , also called Perotin the Great, was a European composer, believed to be French, who lived around the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century. He was the most famous member of the Notre Dame school of polyphony and the ars antiqua style...
's four-part organum "Sederunt principes," sections that are exchanged vary considerably in length, from two to more than ten measures, and parts that are exchanged are sometimes nested (i.e. there is a brief voice exchange among two parts within a larger section which subsequently is repeated using a voice exchange). The elaborate patterns of voice exchange in pieces like "Sederunt" prove that Perotin composed them as a whole, not by successively adding voices.
In the 13th century, the technique was used by English composers of the Worcester school as a structural device. In the genre rondellus
Rondellus
In music rondellus is the formalized interchange of parts or voices according to a scheme, often used in English conducti and frequently in English motets of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, but never used for an entire piece...
, as described by the theorist Walter Odington
Walter Odington
Walter Odington was an 14th century English Benedictine scientific and especially musical theory author. He is also known as Walter of Evesham, by some writers confounded with Walter of Eynsham, who lived about fifty years earlier, died not earlier than 1330.During the first part of his religious...
(c. 1300), the central part of the piece was based entirely on voice exchange. Ordinarily, but not always, the text is exchanged along with the melody. It also appears in the lower parts (pes) of Sumer is icumen in
Sumer Is Icumen In
"Sumer Is Icumen In" is a traditional English round, and possibly the oldest such example of counterpoint in existence. The title might be translated as "Summer has come in" or "Summer has arrived"....
, while the upper parts always include a new melodic phrase instead of a true voice exchange.
Voice exchange gradually died out after 1300, due to the gradual separation of voice ranges and the expansion of the ambitus
Ambitus (music)
Ambitus is a Latin term literally meaning "the going round", and in Medieval Latin means the "course" of a melodic line, most usually referring to the range of scale degrees attributed to a given mode, particularly in Gregorian chant. It may also refer to the range of a voice, instrument, or piece...
of a composition. However, it occasionally made limited appearances in simple polyphony of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and was for example common in the upper parts of Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
trio sonata
Trio sonata
The trio sonata is a musical form that was popular in the 17th and early 18th centuries.A trio sonata is written for two solo melodic instruments and basso continuo, making three parts in all, hence the name trio sonata...
s.
Use in Schenkerian theory
Voice exchange is also used in Schenkerian theory to refer to a pitch-class exchange involving two voices across registers, one of which is usually the bass. In this sense it is a common secondary structural feature found in the music of a wide variety of composers. In analyses, this is represented by two crossing lines with double arrowheads indicating the exchanged pitches. A common exchange of this sort involves a progression of a third using a passing tone, the exchange notated by the interval succession 10-8-6 (if this is with the bass, the third chord is a first inversion of the first). This is in effect a prolongationProlongation
In music theory, prolongation refers to the process in tonal music through which a pitch, interval, or consonant triad is able to govern spans of music when not physically sounding...
of the third (generally as part of a triad), a preservation of the harmony across a time span. Another type of exchange has the interval succession 10-10-6-6 (or 6-6-10-10), and involves a pair of notes exchanged across parts.