Victoria Bond

What's The Point Of Counterpoint?

Year: 1985

Duration (in minutes): 24'39;10'34;

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Instruments: harp, timpani

Publisher: Subito Music Corporation

Description: Text:Victoria Bond
Soloist: narrator
Comm. and prem: 4/20/85 The Empire State Youth Orchestra; The Empire State Institute for the Performing Arts, Albany, NY
A musical fable for narrator and orchestra.
“Counterpoint is so complicated a subject, that to appreciate all of the mathematical permutations requires the acumen of a well-trained composer. It’s nice to have some kind of introduction to it, and the Bond piece could serve the needs of listeners of all ages. Its construction is as a children’s tale: the protagonist, a tune, is looking for a friend. Tune is befriended by a bird, which takes him on a tour of the cities of Rhythm and Harmony before discovering the tent where the city of Counterpoint is headquartered, and being treated to a display, rendered with a likening to acrobatics, of part of the “Art of the Fugue.” It’s an impressive journey in terms of musical sophistication. Bond is to be congratulated and then some for providing youthful audiences with a text which never attempts to talk down to them.” Schenectady Gazette