Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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722 STKIOT COUNTERPOINT STRICT COUNTERPOINT
distinct classes, now known as the Five Orders
of Counterpoint, the rules for which may be
thus epitomised :
General Laws. The early Contrapuntists
insist strongly upon the observance of the four
following ' Cardinal Rules ' {Begulae cardinales).
I. One Perfect Concord may proceed to another
in contrary or oblique motion, but not
in similar motion.
II. A Perfect Concord may proceed to an
Imperfect Concord in all the three kinds of
motion.
III. An Imperfect Concord may proceed to a
Perfect Concord in
contrary or oblique motion,
but not in similar motion.
IV. One Imperfect Concord may proceed to
another in all the three kinds of motion.
The intention of these rules is to prevent
the possibility of Consecutive or Hidden Fifths,
Octaves, and Unisons.
First Order (Note against note). One
semibreve must be written, in each part, against
each semibreve in the Canto fermo. All progressions
must be purely diatonic ; the employment
of chromatic intervals being utterly prohibited,
both in harmony and in melody, in
this and all the succeeding Orders. No discords
of any kind are admissible. In two parts the
only permitted intervals are the three Perfect,
and the four Imperfect Concords ; i.e. the
Unison, Octave, and Perfect Fifth ; ^ and the
Major and Minor Thirds and Sixths. In three
or more parts the only harmonies permitted
are the Major and Minor Common Chords, and
the chord of the Sixth. The chord of the 6-4
and the Augmented and Diminished Triads are
prohibited ; but the First Inversion of the
Diminished Triad is admissible, because none
of its intervals are in dissonance vrith the bass.
In three parts each chord should, if possible,
consist of a Root, Third, and Fifth ; or a Bassnote,
Third, and Sixth. In four parts the
Octave should be added. But in cases of
necessity any interval may be doubled or
omitted. The separate parts may proceed
either in conjunct movement, by Major or
Minor Seconds ; or disjunctly by leaps of a
Major or Minor Third, a Perfect Fourth, u,
Perfect Fifth, a Minor Sixth, or an Octave.
All other leaps, including that of the Major
Sixth, are absolutely prohibited. The first
semibreve, in two-part counterpoint, must be
accompanied by a Perfect Concord ; in three or
more parts, one part at least must form a Perfect
Concord with the bass. In the remaining
semibreves. Imperfect- Concords are to be preferred
in two parts.
In this, and all other Orders of Counterpoint,
the parts may cross each other to any extent.
1 In Counterpoint the Perfect Fourth, when need alone, or
reckoned from the Baae-note, is hold to be, and treated as a Discord.
When It occurs among the upper notes of a chord, the bass taking
no share in its formation, it is treated as a Perfect Concord. The
same rule applies to the Augmented Foui-fch (Tritouue) and the
Diminished Fifth {Quinta falaa).
Consecutive Fifths, Octaves, and Unisons, in
similar motion, are forbidden in any number
of parts. In four or more parts Consecutive
Fifths are permitted in contrary motion, but
only as a last resource. ^ This licence, however,
does not extend to Consecutive Octaves, which
were far more carefully avoided by the great
masters than Consecutive Fifths, even in contrary
motion. But Consecutive Fifths and
Octaves are only forbidden when they occur
between the same two parts. When produced
by different parts, or by making the parts cross
each other, they are perfectly lawful. Hidden
Fifths and Octaves are as strictly forbidden in
two parts as real Consecutives ; but in four or
more parts, as at {d) in Ex. 3, the great masters
never troubled themselves to avoid them.^
The False Relation of the Tritonus (Augmented
Fourth) is strictly forbidden in two
parts ; but permitted in three or more. That
of the Octave is forbidden, even in eight parts.
In two parts, the Unison is forbidden, except
in the first and last notes. The Octave is permitted
in oblique motion, and in contrary
motion also, provided it be approached by
separation i.e. by the mutual divergence of
the parts which produce it ; as at (c) in Ex. 2. •
Its employment by approximation i.e. by the
convergence of the parts, as at (6) in Ex. 2— is
only permitted in the final cadence.*
In two-part Counterpoint of this order it is
forbidden to take more than three Thirds or
Sixths in succession, unless the parts be made
to cross each other.
The final Cadence is fonned, either by a Major
Sixth followed by an Octave, as at (c), in Ex. 2 ;
or by a Minor Third followed by an Octave, or
a Unison, as at (a) in Ex. 1. In two parts,
these intervals will complete the necessary formula.
In more than two parts the same intervals
must be given to the Canto fermo and one
other part, while the other parts fill up the
harmony, in accordance with the laws already
laid down, as at (e) in Ex. 3. If the last chord
be not naturally Major, it must be made so by
an accidental Sharp or Natural.*
Ex. 1.
Ex. 2.
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(o)
(6) bad. (c)gooii.
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2 It will be seen that In this particular the atrict style is more
indulgent than the free. Palestrina constantly availed himself of
the licence, especially when writing for equal voices,
" See Hidden Fifths and Octaves, vol. 11. pp. 396, 397.
* The earlier writers on Counterpoint insist very strongly on the
observance of this rule ; and extend its action, with even greater
severity, to the unison in the few cases in which the employment
of this interval is permitted. Fux (pp. 53, 54) is inclined to treat
It with indulgence, provided the convolving parts proceed in conjunct
movement, but only on this conrtition. Albrochtaberger
forbids the progression in two parts, but sanctions It in three.
Cherubini makes no mention of the rule.
B For examples o£ Cadences in all the Ecclesiastical Modes, see
MusicA FxoTA, v«»l, iii. pp. 330-333.