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Say that Alice has a theme song with a certain melody. Also, Bob has his own theme with a certain melody. But during a scene where Alice and Bob are together, both melodies are played together at once on top of each other.

  1. Does this technique have a name?
  2. Are there any prototypical / classic examples of this?
  3. Are there any important properties the 2 melodies must have so that, combined, they sound pleasant?

The only related thing I can think of is how "Canon" and "Row Row Row Your Boat" are both able to complement themselves, but that's not exactly the same.

Richard
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chausies
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    I've always thought the best 'pop' example of this is [Paul McCartney/Wings, Silly Love Songs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap87QgZKTNw) I think it was 7 distinct melodies, last time I counted. – Tetsujin Jan 23 '23 at 09:55
  • I'm not sure whether you meant it, but your Alice and Bob story muddies the water. Polyphony and counterpoint are the general terms. Canon is a specific type among many. Your Alice and Bob story suggests the two melodies were composed _independently_, but you didn't say that explicitly. Counterpoint is often described in terms of _procedure_. You've left out some important procedural detail. Who/when/how were the two melodies written? – Michael Curtis Jan 24 '23 at 15:56
  • @MichaelCurtis I specifically chose that example because, yes, the two melodies should be considered separate/independent. But then, when you play them on top of each other, it sounds nice (and has thematic meaning in this case between Alice and Bob). – chausies Jan 25 '23 at 06:10
  • separate/independently... composed? Independence of melodies has a meaning in counterpoint. If you just say "the melodies are independent", it isn't understood you mean composed by two different people. – Michael Curtis Jan 25 '23 at 22:17

2 Answers2

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The term you're looking for is quodlibet, which is a composition that combines several melodies.

There are different types of quodlibets, but you're discussing the "simultaneous quodlibet," when different melodies are played at the same time so as to sound harmonious.

This practice dates back to the Renaissance era, but the tradition is alive and well today, especially in Broadway musicals.

At some level there are important properties the melodies must have for this to work. But since melodies can be combined in so many ways—which melody is above which, are they played at the same tempo (or is one, say, in half time), are there slight changes made at cadence points, etc.—that it's frankly tough to pinpoint what these properties would be. Instead, it's up to the composer to show their mastery and make the melodies fit.

I'm a classical guy, and my favorite quodlibet is at the climax of Benjamin Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra." Not only is this a quodlibet, but it's at the ending of what is in my opinion the most impressive fugue ever written. He combines it with a theme of Henry Purcell that started the very beginning of the piece.

Richard
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  • @chausies Note, this is a great word for a time that someone works with existing material; like, Britten added his own theme to a theme that was hundreds of years old. It might not be a good choice for times that one composer, within one work, combines two themes from earlier in the work, like "Anakin's theme and the Imperial March are superimposed" or, in *Matilda: The Musical*, a reprise of the song "Naughty" is superimposed on the later song "When I grow up." – Andy Bonner Jan 23 '23 at 14:14
  • I should probably throw in that a more contemporary/pop term for the same concept is "mashup," but again that usually implies combining materials that have been produced earlier, often by other artists (e.g. Jonathan Coulton's "When I'm 25 or 64," combining Paul McCartney's "When I'm 64" with Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4"). – Andy Bonner Jan 23 '23 at 20:19
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Polyphony: two or more simultaneous "voices" (e.g., melodies). Prototypical examples: Palestrina and Bach.

Duet: two people (or instruments) singing together, each with their own distinct part that combine into a single song. Prototypical examples: too far back in music history, and too many exemplars.

Leitmotif: The use of melodies specific to a character or idea, which can be combined to convey meaning. Prototypical example: Wagnerian opera.

The qualities required to make two simultaneous melodies sound pleasant is, more or less, the basis of several hundred years of Western music theory. And, of course, "pleasant" is in the ear of the beholder. Atonal duets, depending on the particular style, will follow a set of rules, but may or may not be "pleasant".

Aaron
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  • "more or less, the entire basis of music theory": much of music theory concerns itself with music that has only one melody. Some music theory even concerns itself with music that has none. Certainly, the origins of music theory stretch back far enough that the basis (in a historical sense) couldn't lie in the rules of counterpoint. – phoog Jan 23 '23 at 12:26
  • @phoog I think you're nitpicking here. Is my meaning really that unclear? – Aaron Jan 23 '23 at 16:39
  • No, your meaning is perfectly clear; I just wanted to point out that the statement implies an overly narrow conception of "music theory." – phoog Jan 23 '23 at 19:34
  • @phoog It does, true. It seemed inappropriate in this question to bring in all the other music theories. – Aaron Jan 23 '23 at 20:25
  • @phoog Perhaps the clarification I just added will suit. – Aaron Jan 23 '23 at 20:31