![]() Bing sings a smoother, older style tune about a ‘simple melody,’ and Gary sings a syncopated, younger style tune about a ‘musical demon’.In the mid-1960s, Irving Berlin produced a revival of Annie Get Your Gun, for which he wrote an additional song. One version features Bing Crosby and his son Gary, each representing two different musical generations. An early example dates from 1914, although many artists have recorded it. Irving Berlin prided himself on the creation of counterpoint songs. These are the most challenging types of duets for composers to write, for singers to perform, and for listeners to track. Each singer generally presents their song alone, and then they are presented simultaneously. Usually one part contrasts by moving at a slower rhythm, and each part has its own text. These are often called partner songs or counterpoint songs. Counterpoint/Partner Song DuetsĪnother type of duet is when each singer has their own independent melody. The 1981 duet ‘Perhaps Love’ with John Denver and Placido Domingo features voices alternating on the verses and then moving together as melody with harmony on the refrain. ‘Islands in the Stream’ by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (1983) is sung in a similar fashion. In preparing for sleep, they sing a comforting prayer about the angels who will watch over them during the night.A more recent isorhythmic duet is ‘Somethin’ Stupid’ from 1967, sung by Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy Sinatra. Brother and sister are lost in the woods, and darkness is fast approaching. An excellent example of this kind of duet is ‘Evening Prayer’ from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. The majority of notes are harmonized one-on-one in a fashion similar to the parallel melody invented in the 9th century. The simplest type of vocal duet is a melody sung by one voice harmonized by a second voice, with both parts moving together in pretty much the same rhythm. The most popular pairings are soprano and alto, soprano and tenor, and tenor with bass. Composers quickly discovered that vocal duets work best with some kind of high voice/low voice combination. The earliest vocal duets, as we think of them today, began with opera in the early 1600s. This early two-part music was called parallel organum. When monks began to experiment with traditional performance practice by adding a parallel melody sung simultaneously with the original chant, it became the earliest example of polyphonic texture.Įven though there were several singers on each of the two chant parts, you could think of it as the first type of duet. The predominant type of music was chant, a single unaccompanied melodic line, which is an example of monophonic texture. Perhaps one the earliest documented examples can be found in the 9th century. Duet HistoryĪs long as there has been singing, there has probably been some kind of duet music. This lesson will focus on vocal duets and explore three basic types. Or, they can be more of a dialogue.ĭuets can be for voices, instruments, or a combination of the two. Another way to think about it would be that each part is really separate and independent, yet they still harmonize when presented together. ![]() There are actually several kinds of duets in the musical world.Most people think of a duet as one part being a melody and a secondary part that harmonizes with that melody. * All Partners were chosen among 50+ writing services by our Customer Satisfaction Team
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