24 november 2011
The meaning of musical textures: on poly and other phonies
Wim van der Meer
The terminology of multipart music - polyphony, heterophony, homophony, symphony, euphony, telephony, antiphony, cacophony, disphony, tautophony, stereophony, quadraphony + counterpoint, multisonance is very confusing, and more so in English than in Dutch or German. My first task therefore will be to try and elucidate this matter, looking also at the historical and cultural side of the story.
Secondly I will argue that the generic term texture provides a broader scope for examining the way in which the 'substance' of musical sound is formed. Texture originates from elaborating a physical substance (from PIE *tek- "to make", cf. Skt. taksati "he fashions, constructs"), and spreads to any tangible surface, from skin to rock. It specifically refers to tissue, in which the threads are interwoven to form the most extraordinary fabrics. Texts are also textures, by crafting language, and exploring the relation between these two words is the next venture. Finally, we may ask the crucial question whether and how textures convey meaning. In passing, I will wonder whether musical textures could bear any resemblance to the textures of society.