# Convertible counterpoint in the strict style (Taneyev)?



## paulc

Has anyone read this? Understood it?

I am always interested in books by notable composers, but this one is expensive and said to be fairly dry.

Wondering if it's useful in practice and worth adding to my library...


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## clavichorder

My teacher has that book, its very esoteric and intellectual, sometimes mathematical. He's never gotten through it and he's a good reader. It depends on who you are as to whether such a thing is useful in practice. For Medtner, Taneyev's strict theories of counterpoint were not necessary to understand to develop his own mean counterpoint technique. For Taneyev, I can imagine it was very useful. Whether it has or will again be so useful to another composer, I don't know. You'd have to have a really analytical mind to dig that sort of stuff.


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## paulc

Clavichorder, thanks for the info. 

If the book drops in price, I'll consider buying it.


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## chee_zee

I don't see the need to buy it unless you are living in the stone age. get a tablet, laptop, or kindle or just study at home. the book was invented several decades before copyright law, and even more decades before russia adopted such a system. just download it. I have both the russian version from musicaneo and the english version from google books, both free and legal pdfs....it's a good book btw, I'd start out with hugo norden's stuff first though, as his teachings seem to be a good intro to taneiev. the only translation of doctrine canon however was done just recently and is available on proquest, which most college and public libraries have available so just look for
Sergei Ivanovich Taneev's 'Doctrine of the Canon': A translation and commentary (Russia). by Paul R Grove, II.

in proquest. My library is currently getting it, can't wait.


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