Books by Michael G. Cunningham

For over 45 years composer Michael G. Cunningham, himself a pianist and singer, created a number of Art Songs, which he now shares with the public. Most are for medium-range voice, and all use poetry from the Renaissance through the early 20th-Century.

This book starts by focusing on Medieval creativity and the first, and later attempts at written music, from the earliest days on into the Ars Nova period, so as to show the eventual evolution to Renaissance triadic counterpoint. The second, more important focus is on an adapted set of Species exercises, with all the benefits of its strict rules. The third focus is on freer creativity within the learned rules. The final focus is on the English Madrigal, and how it bridges to Baroque tonality. A prose Appendix historically orients the student with overview summaries of the Renaissance period.

DIVISIONAL COUNTERPOINT is a step-by-step course intended to point the student in the direction of Bach's coutrapuntal style. It begins like most other counterpoint texts, but after STEPS 1 and 2 the similarity ends. Here there is a blending of the techniques of Species Counterpoint with that of harmonic progressions. Here, instead of Canti Firmi, there are Guidance lines which may, when necessary, be changed. Within controlled chordal progressions, using chordal skeletons, the emphases are on adding ever-faster lines to achieve the proper composite rhythm, and to maintain the established chordal progression. Dissonance is presented as notes that are merely out of the harmonic context, rather than as absolute abstractions. Part I (a full semester's work) emphasizes short two and three voice exercises. Part II introduces remaining techniques and textures and invites more concentrated work in lengthier compositions and analysis.

Intended for first and second year college music courses, graduate students needing a concentrated review, and Private Theory instruction, this is a Music Theory treatise in the form of a workbook. The greater part of traditional theory is formatted into a set of 25 lessons, offering new insight, sequences and overviews. This teaching tool is designed to teach the most information with a maximum overview and minimal effort in the smallest amount of time. This method of instruction takes into account the crowded schedules of vocal, instructional, composition, and various other majors. By studying Theory the student becomes prepared for eventual and continual contact with existing music literature.