From what I understand, they both kind of refer to the same thing. Why the need for 2 terms?
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I believe counterpoint is a narrower term (all counterpoint is polyphonic but not all polyphony is contrapuntal). Contrapuntal polyphony emerged in the baroque era and so renaissance polyphony is not referred to as counterpoint.– James TauberCommented Jun 9, 2011 at 23:02
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@James, actually, there is renaissance counterpoint (e.g. Palestrina) that is stylistically different from baroque counterpoint (e.g. JS Bach). I've studied 16th-C but not 18th-C, so I can't characterize the differences.– Monica CellioCommented Jun 10, 2011 at 2:08
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@Monica, yes, I shouldn't have said it was a renaissance/baroque split as late renaissance had counterpoint, notable Palestrina as you mention. But while there's a distinction between Palestrina and Bach, I think there's also a distinction between (say) Ockeghem and Palestrina– James TauberCommented Jun 10, 2011 at 4:20
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Right, not all rennaisance polyphony is counterpoint, not by a long shot. I agree with the first sentence of your first comment -- counterpoint is a type of polyphony.– Monica CellioCommented May 21, 2013 at 16:13
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"The word counterpoint is frequently used interchangeably with polyphony. This is not properly correct, since polyphony refers generally to music consisting of two or more distinct melodic lines while counterpoint refers to the compositional technique involved in the handling of these melodic lines" (Britannica). Counterpoint = the technique, polyphony = the result, "Bach's tonal counterpoint is surely no less polyphonic than Palestrina's modal writing" (Carl Dahlhaus).– minsCommented May 2, 2021 at 17:26
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2 Answers
Counterpoint is a type of polyphony with certain restrictions on form. For instance, contrapuntally organized music focuses on melodic interaction between multiple independent voices rather than harmonic interaction. In other words, chords occur as a result of coincident notes in multiple melodic lines rather than as a primary textural element. Other forms of polyphony have different restrictions (or, in the case of polyphony in general, no restrictions beyond having more than one voice).
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So when you study counterpoint you don't study harmony but melodies? Commented May 30, 2012 at 2:08
I believe "counterpoint" is a narrower term (all counterpoint is polyphonic but not all polyphony is contrapuntal). Contrapuntal polyphony emerged in the late renaissance era and so medieval and early renaissance polyphony is not referred to as "counterpoint".
answered Jun 9, 2011 at 23:15
