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bridges_counterpoint:title [2017/07/27 12:01] brianbridges_counterpoint:title [2019/04/10 19:28] (current) brian
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 ===== Editor's Note ===== ===== Editor's Note =====
 ==== On The New Digital Edition ==== ==== On The New Digital Edition ====
 +
 +This digital edition is by [[http://bondari.com|Brian Bondari]].
  
 To say that the musical primer [[http://amzn.to/2uwBoq2|Counterpoint]] by [[wp>Frederick_Bridge|J. Frederick Bridge]] lacks popularity as a counterpoint text is a gross understatement. Indeed, I had never heard of it before stumbling across it on [[https://archive.org/details/counterpoint00briduoft|archive.org]] during the summer of 2017. So what is the reason for updating and digitizing a textbook that's over 130 years old?  To say that the musical primer [[http://amzn.to/2uwBoq2|Counterpoint]] by [[wp>Frederick_Bridge|J. Frederick Bridge]] lacks popularity as a counterpoint text is a gross understatement. Indeed, I had never heard of it before stumbling across it on [[https://archive.org/details/counterpoint00briduoft|archive.org]] during the summer of 2017. So what is the reason for updating and digitizing a textbook that's over 130 years old? 
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   1. Updated structure, formatting, and vocabulary   1. Updated structure, formatting, and vocabulary
  
-**Structure**: While Bridge's text is organized into chapters (which I left untouched), the content of each chapter is broken into numbered paragraphs, turning each chapter into a kind of large, organized list. I have omitted the paragraph numbers for this edition and have instead imposed appropriate headings, such as "Rules 1-5", Rules 6-10", and so forth. Each chapter now also has a wiki-style Table of Contents menu with links one can click to swiftly navigate through the headings within each chapter.+**Structure**: While Bridge's text is organized into chapters (which I left untouched), the content of each chapter is broken into numbered paragraphs, turning each chapter into a kind of large, organized list. I have omitted the paragraph numbers for this edition and have instead imposed appropriate headings, such as "Rules 1--5", Rules 6--10", and so forth. Each chapter now also has a wiki-style Table of Contents menu with links one can use to swiftly navigate through the headings within each chapter.
  
 In the original edition, Bridge made frequent references to specific paragraphs (//e.g.// "see par. 87"). In place of this cumbersome structure, I have replaced these references with easy-to-access footnotes containing the entire referenced text, plus a link to the specific chapter from which the reference came. In the original edition, Bridge made frequent references to specific paragraphs (//e.g.// "see par. 87"). In place of this cumbersome structure, I have replaced these references with easy-to-access footnotes containing the entire referenced text, plus a link to the specific chapter from which the reference came.
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 **Vocabulary**: Here is an area where I acted with some restraint. Since we are talking about a textbook written in the nineteenth century, I did not wish to "modernize" Bridge's writing style, which is decidedly old-fashioned, but makes for charming reading. The bulk of my updates in this area revolve around making the text more readily understandable by American music students. For instance, whenever Bridge, who was English, talks about crotchets ((quarter notes)), minims ((half notes)), or consecutives ((parallels)), you should see a footnote with the American equivalent, as I have illustrated here. My other changes to the original text have been minimal, and mainly serve to facilitate the removal of paragraph number references as previously mentioned. **Vocabulary**: Here is an area where I acted with some restraint. Since we are talking about a textbook written in the nineteenth century, I did not wish to "modernize" Bridge's writing style, which is decidedly old-fashioned, but makes for charming reading. The bulk of my updates in this area revolve around making the text more readily understandable by American music students. For instance, whenever Bridge, who was English, talks about crotchets ((quarter notes)), minims ((half notes)), or consecutives ((parallels)), you should see a footnote with the American equivalent, as I have illustrated here. My other changes to the original text have been minimal, and mainly serve to facilitate the removal of paragraph number references as previously mentioned.
  
-  2. Updated musical examples, complete with media players:+  2. Updated musical examples, complete with media players
  
 **Updated musical examples**: There are 129 musical examples in this book, each of which I digitally recreated with the [[http://lilypond.org|Lilypond]] typesetting program. Despite being a heavy Finale(tm) user for many years, I used this opportunity to gain familiarity with the open-source Lilypond program, which has two significant advantages over commercial, graphical programs. First, Lilypond creates beautiful output with no additional tweaking. Secondly, and more importantly, with a little knowledge of scripting languages, one can harness the power of scripts to automate tasks that would take numerous hours in a commercial program like Finale. For instance, my typical workflow when creating this edition was to create a separate Lilypond text file for each example (per chapter). When completed, I simply ran a single script that did the following for //all// those new examples: **Updated musical examples**: There are 129 musical examples in this book, each of which I digitally recreated with the [[http://lilypond.org|Lilypond]] typesetting program. Despite being a heavy Finale(tm) user for many years, I used this opportunity to gain familiarity with the open-source Lilypond program, which has two significant advantages over commercial, graphical programs. First, Lilypond creates beautiful output with no additional tweaking. Secondly, and more importantly, with a little knowledge of scripting languages, one can harness the power of scripts to automate tasks that would take numerous hours in a commercial program like Finale. For instance, my typical workflow when creating this edition was to create a separate Lilypond text file for each example (per chapter). When completed, I simply ran a single script that did the following for //all// those new examples:
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 You can also read this book by downloading an EPUB, which is viewable on an e-reader (Nook, Kobo, etc) or on any computer/smartphone/tablet with an e-book app. The EPUB format supports audio, but your individual e-reader may not, so I cannot make any guarantees as to the functionality of the e-reader version. I have personally tested it with Apple iBooks, and it works fine. You can also read this book by downloading an EPUB, which is viewable on an e-reader (Nook, Kobo, etc) or on any computer/smartphone/tablet with an e-book app. The EPUB format supports audio, but your individual e-reader may not, so I cannot make any guarantees as to the functionality of the e-reader version. I have personally tested it with Apple iBooks, and it works fine.
  
-===== Acknowledgements =====+EPUB download: [[https://bondari.com/data/uploads/documents/Counterpoint_Bridge.epub|Counterpoint_Bridge.epub]] (52 MB) 
 + 
 +===== Acknowledgments =====
  
-Naturally, I am grateful to Sir J. Frederick Bridge for the 1878 version of his text, without which this new edition would not be possible. Additionally, I express my gratitude to my friend [[http://jonathankulp.org|Jonathan Kulp]] at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who served as the inspiration for this project. ((Kulp has selflessly created numerous //free// resources [[http://jonathankulp.org/gratis.html|relating to music theory and music history]].)) Thanks, Jon!+Naturally, my best thanks are due to Sir J. Frederick Bridge for the 1878 version of his text, without which this new edition would not be possible. Additionally, I express my gratitude to my friend [[http://jonathankulp.org|Jonathan Kulp]] at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who served as the inspiration for this project. ((Kulp has selflessly created numerous //free// resources [[http://jonathankulp.org/gratis.html|relating to music theory and music history]].)) Thanks, Jon!
  
 And finally, I am also thankful for my wife Katrina's enduring patience and kind replies of, "Yes, Daddy is still working...." in response to our kids' endlessly repeating question: And finally, I am also thankful for my wife Katrina's enduring patience and kind replies of, "Yes, Daddy is still working...." in response to our kids' endlessly repeating question:
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 //July//, 2017. //July//, 2017.
  
 +This work is licensed under a [[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/|Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License]].
  
 +{{:cherubini_counterpoint_and_fugue:cc-88x31.png?nolink|}}
  
        
  
  
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