The essence of the most celebrated book on counterpoint, Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum.
The most celebrated book on counterpoint is Fux's great theoretical work Gradus ad Parnassum. Since its appearance in 1725, it has been used by and has directly influenced the work of many of the greatest composers...
J.S. Bach held it in high esteem, Leopold Mozart trained his
famous son from its pages, Haydn worked out every lesson with meticulous
care, and Beethoven condensed it into an abstract for ready reference.
An impressive list of nineteenth-century composers subscribed to its
second edition, and in more recent times Paul Hindemith said, "Perhaps
the craft of composition would really have fallen into decline if Fux's Gradus had not set up a standard." Originally written in Latin, Steps to Parnassus was
translated into the principal European languages, but the only English
version was a free paraphrase published in 1886. The present translation
by Alfred Mann is therefore the first faithful rendering in English
from the original Latin and presents the essence of Fux's teachings. For
its distinction as a classic and its undiminished usefulness for the
modern student it is a privilege to offer this fine translation in the
Norton Library.