Also 6 -poinct, conterpoynt, -pointe, Sc. cuntirpoint. [In sense 1, a. F. contrepoint (15th c. in Littré) = OIt. contrapunto, in med.L. contrapunctum, cantus contrapunctus, lit. ‘song or music pointed-against,’ the part added as accompaniment to a plain-song being indicated by notes, ‘pricks,’ or ‘points,’ set against (over or under) the notes or points of the original melody. In senses 3 and 4, f. COUNTER- 3, 6, 8.] I. Music.
1. The melody added as accompaniment to a given melody or ‘plain-song.’ Also fig.
1530. Palsgr., 208/2. Conterpoynt, contrepoynt.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 39. The lyntquhit sang cuntirpoint quhen the osȝil ȝelpit.
1620. Shelton, Quix., III. xxviii. 197. To your braying Music, what counterpoint Could you expect but bat blows?
1868. Morris, Earthly Par., I. (1870), 306. A rainy wind from ’twixt the trees arose, And sang a mournful counterpoint to those.
1879. Ouseley, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 407/2. It is usual to take some fragment of an old chant or chorale as the ‘canto fermo’ or plain-chant, to which other parts or melodies are added as accompaniments…. This is called ‘adding a counterpoint to a given subject.’
2. The art of adding one or more melodies as accompaniment to a given melody or ‘plain-song’ according to certain fixed rules; the style of composition in which melodies are thus combined.
Double counterpoint: counterpoint in which the melodies are so constructed as to admit of being placed in any order above or below one another.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 71. The first waie wherein we shew the vse of the cordes, is called Counterpoint: that is, when to a note of the plainsong, there goeth but one note of descant.
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., III. 1. Counterpoint … was the old manner of Composing Parts together, by setting Points or Pricks one against another.
1762. J. Brown, Poetry & Mus., v. (1763), 67. Counterpoint, or an artificial Composition in various Parts, was altogether unknown.
1879. Ouseley, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 408. Plain counterpoint is generally divided into five species. The first is called ‘note against note.’… The second species is called ‘two notes to one.’… The third species is called ‘four notes to one.’… The fourth is called ‘syncopated counterpoint.’… The fifth species is called ‘florid counterpoint.’
II. general.
† 3. A contrary point (in an argument). Obs.
1565. Jewel, Repl. Harding (1611), 151. Heere M. Harding, by counterpoints … compareth the state of the Primitiue Church and his Church of Rome together.
a. 1626. Bp. Andrewes, Serm. (1856), I. 158. Which two counterpoints make in shew a conflict or contradiction between the Prophet and the Evangelist.
4. The opposite point; † the exact opposite, antithesis.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 167. Who affecting in them selves and followers a certeine Angelicall purity, fell sodainely to the very counterpoinct of justifying bestiality.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 834. The portall … standing in counterpoint with the third gate aboue mentioned.
1603. B. Jonson, Sejanus, III. i. Wks. (Rtldg.), 151/1. My ambition is the counterpoint.
1878. Tennyson, Q. Mary, III. vi. Should her love … Veer to the counterpoint.
Hence Counterpointist, a contrapuntist; Counterpointless a., lacking counterpoint.
1826. M. Kelly, Remin., I. 225. I compare a good melodist to a fine racer, and counterpointists to hack post-horses.
1887. E. Gurney, Tertium Quid, II. 30. Figureless counterpointless see-sawings.
