DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

494 INVERTIBLE COUNTERPOINT INVERTIBLE COUNTERPOINT
(") is the model ; (6) an ordinary inversion in
the harmonic sense only ; (c) an inversion iu
the melodic sense only, or, as it is often called,
inversion by contrary movement. In both of
these it "will be observed that the intervals between
the two parts in the model are inverted
—sixths turning into thirds, thirds into sixths,
a second into a seventh, and so forth. But in
the double inversion (hothharmonic and melodic)
at (d), all the intervals are restored, being
exactly what they were in the model. ' This
being so it is only natural that though ordinary
inversion flourishes separately, the rarer and
more artificial melodic sort is closely asso-
ciated with ordinary inversion ; and in quite
early treatises, to be mentioned later, it was
taught as a second and difficult variety of douUe
counterpoint inverted in both senses. Latterly
it does not appear to have been as systematically
taught as its real importance would warrant.
The tiaoManners of Inversion contrasted..—The
essential diiference between the two styles of
inversion is as important as it is interesting.
While both bear the stamp of ingenuity rather
than spontaneity, their application in composi-
tion has widely different efiects. One is preeminently
useful and seldom very significant
the other is usually highly significant and has,
in some cases, quite fantastic, even dangerous
possibilities. A glance at the Boyce example
quoted above will show that its invertibility
simply makes for increased utility rather than
for increased significance. The feeling of the
passage is in no way changed ; it is only in a
subtle way amplified ; and a composer who
plans an effective piece of invertible counter-
' The natural reason for this is simple enough ; for it is mauifest
that If the higher of any two parts move iiptcarfls it will have
precisely the same effect upon their relative positions as if the
lower part luove doumwarda.
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Conversely, a moTement downwards of the upper of two parts
will have the same eCftct (of appriixima.tion) as the correapondiiig
movement upwards of the lower part.
Therefore, if two parta be melodically inverted (every downward
step being turned into an upward one and vice versa) it is only
necea.'iary to Invert them harmonically as well, to restore their
relative poBitiona towards each other.
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point is only like a wise builder who chooses
well -planned sizes and piatterns of building
material with a view to very extensive and
varied use. Indeed, for this reason, an extended
contrapuntal movement is scarcely to be conceived
without some traces of double counterpoint.
But melodic inversion, on the other
hand, makes rather for new emotional significance
than for mere utility. Useful it may be,
but significant in most cases it must be, sometimes
it is startingly so. It is easy to account
for this. The rise and fall of a melody are
strongly associated with the feeling that under-
lies it, just as the rise and fall of the spjeaking
voice are dependent ujion the feeling of the
speaker, so that often a melody which is practically
unaffected by ordinary inversion becomes
\'itally transformed by melodic inversion, in a
way that ingenious contrapuntists may sometimes
be apt to overlook. "While almost any
melody will bear transplanting from a higher
to a lower part, it is hardly too much to say
that some of the greatest melodies ever written
would sound as inappiropjriately grotesque when
melodieally inverted as a great verse of poetry
if read line by line, backwards. The famous
second subject in Beethoven's violin concerto is
such an one, of which the technically correct
inversion is here written down .
OriginaL
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It must sound horrible to all lovers of the tune.
The exquisite rise and fall in the 1st and 2nd
and the 5th and 6th bars disappear, while the
phrases of tranquillity which follow them in
the original become abnormally and grotesquely
active. If it be possible that any reader needs
further proof of the dangers of melodic inversion,
he may apply this process to the first phrase of
the J^t resnrrexit in the B minor mass, or to the
second subject of Brahms's G minor piano quartet,
or, indeed, to almost any of Beethoven's more
deeply felt subjects—notably second subjects.
From this it will be seen that, as a general
principle, while harmonic inversion is capable
of the mdest application, subjects of strong
emotional significance cannot be melodieally
inverted without real danger. But while this
disqualifies a great class of melodies for such
inversion, there still remain a vast number of
other kinds which may be subjected to this