La Renaissance du contrepoint, Hochschule für Musik Basel

The traditional teaching of (written) counterpoint in conservatoires has in recent decades been supplemented, and sometimes supplanted by approaches based on improvisation. On the one hand these methods model themselves directly on the early theorists, who – more often than composition – describe practices of extemporized counterpoint known as “cantare super librum” or “contrappunto alla mente”. On the other hand, these “new old” pedagogies also correspond to the very contemporary need to develop innovative, interactive teaching strategies, focused on practical musicianship skills, allowing students to learn music as a living language.

Building on the legacy of the pioneers of this revival, such as Markus Jans and Jean-Yves Haymoz in Switzerland, successive generations of pedagogues have developed their own approaches, based on new insights from historical research (not seldom their own), but also on practical experiences in the classroom and in performance. Whilst originating in designated early music departments, these pedagogies now have also spread to “generalist” music theory curricula in European conservatoires.

The joint study days “The Renaissance of Counterpoint”, organized by the Haute école de musique de Genève (HES-SO) and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (FNNW) aim to sketch a panorama of current pedagogies of improvised counterpoint in Europe, providing a forum of exchange, as well as an occasion to assess the current state of the field. It will do so through a combination of 20-minute lectures in the morning, followed by workshop sessions for students of the HEM and the Schola Cantorum in the afternoon.

Organising Committee:

Niels Berentsen (PhD), niels.berentsen@hesge.ch (HEM), David Mesquita (PhD), david.mesquita@fhnw.ch (SCB), Antoine Schneider, antoine.schneider@hesge.ch (HEM)

Certain parts of the Study Days will be streamed on YouTube:
Monday: https://youtube.com/live/e6l7kMQ1Ngg?feature=share
Tuesday: https://youtube.com/live/qz_00ud9xv0?feature=share

Programme, Schedule and Abstracts: