countersubject

[ koun-ter-suhb-jikt ]

noun

, Music.

1. a theme in a fugue that occurs simultaneously with the second and often the subsequent themes of the main subject.

countersubject

/ ˈkaʊntəˌsʌbdʒɪkt /

noun

1. music (in a fugue) the theme in one voice that accompanies the statement of the subject in another

Word History and Origins

Origin of countersubject¹

First recorded in 1850–55; counter- + subject

Example Sentences

This is not an original device, but a classic one in the world of Western music theory, subject and countersubject.

From Slate

Obviously the process may be carried further, the first countersubject going on to a second when the subject enters in the third part and so on.

From Project Gutenberg