noun
- plural of heterophony; the simultaneous sounding of different melodic lines or variations of the same melody by different instruments or voices in a musical composition
Usage: music term; technical
Examples
- The orchestra created rich heterophonies by having the strings play a variation of the melody while the woodwinds played the original.
- In many non-Western musical traditions, heterophonies are a fundamental compositional technique.
- The conductor carefully balanced the heterophonies to ensure each melodic line remained distinct.
- Medieval composers sometimes employed heterophonies to add complexity to sacred music.