polyphony
1
8.6
- noun
- /pəˈlɪfəni/
- Specialized
:
polifonía
- The strict definition of "polyphony" is multiple voices, with multiple melodies interwoven together.
- polyphony of voices
Examples
-
Pope Benedict, speaking on liturgical music and the new evangelization, emphasizes Gregorian chant, polyphony, and listening.
Blog text (32) -
And together, these three voices create the polyphony.
-
However, polyphony in Asian music, especially in East Asia, is rarely discussed.
Academic text (2015) -
He was the master at polyphony, if you know what that is.
-
Thus, students are able to build knowledge about the complexity of polyphony in a culturally unique manner.
Academic text (2015) -
I'm not really clear on the distinction between polyphony and other types of classical choral music.
Blog text (32) -
The imitation is the basis for constructing the polyphony.
Academic text (2018) -
The effect produced by so many narrative voices is not one of cacophony, but of structured polyphony.
Academic text (1994) -
Strands of ambient music flowed in from somewhere and combined with African polyphony to sing a hymn to life.
Fiction book (2001) -
The choir performed a beautiful polyphony that filled the cathedral with harmony.
Synonyms
1
4.3
Three voices or instruments sing different notes together to make a full sound
Music with two or more separate melody lines sounding at the same time
Music for several singers or players, each with a different part
Different voices sing together to make a rich harmony
Three or more voices sing different parts together to make harmony
A type of early music where two voices sing at the same time
Antonyms
How Polyphonic
- Specialized
3
7.7
- Specialized
1
8.6
1
4.3
- Specialized
7
3.2
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
polyphony = poly + phon + y
The word is built from classical elements meaning 'many' and 'sound/voice', so the structure is partly recoverable, but the specialized musical sense is not fully transparent for an average learner.
Etymology
The word polyphony comes from the Greek parts poly- meaning 'many' and phon- meaning 'voice' or 'sound', the same phon- you hear in telephone or phone. So polyphony means 'many sounds' or 'many voices', which explains why it describes music made of several separate melodies sung or played at the same time.