Talk:Heterophony

Are the elaborate fugue parts in Bach's WTT heterophonic? --Ed Poor ^Talk 18:21, 25 May 2009 (EDT)

No, they're polyphonic. The difference is, heterophony is based on a single melody with several ornamented versions going on at once, whereas polyphony means several fully distinctive melodies. JDWpianist 18:33, 25 May 2009 (EDT)

So a round is heterophony, like Frere Jacques? --Ed Poor ^Talk 08:38, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

Actually that's still polyphony, because different voices are singing different things at the same time. Heterophony is more like a kind of "enhanced unison," where everyone is singing basically the same thing at the same time, but slightly different versions. JDWpianist 17:05, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

Okay - but I thought a heterophony is a closeted gay .... ;-) --Ed Poor ^Talk 17:11, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

That just made my day! :) JDWpianist 17:26, 27 May 2009 (EDT)