There are 3 different textures in music: monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic. For this week's listening activity, we will explore polyphony in music.

Polyphonic texture exists when there are 2 or more melodies playing simultaneously - and yes, we can play more than 2 melodies on the piano at once! As you can imagine, managing multiple melodies can be quite difficult. As a student, we begin by exploring 2 part Inventions in elementary levels, 3 part sinfonias, and eventually, Fugues, which can have 4 voices at once! Polyphony is piano music was at its peak in the Baroque Era, when composers such as Bach, Scarlatti, and Handel.

Enjoy this week's piece, a fugue based on Happy Birthday!

Questions

What are some challenges of playing polyphonic music on the piano?
How does the Happy Birthday theme develop throughout?
What do you think monophonic and homophonic textures are?