History Main / CounterpointDuet

* "To Be Human" from the Deluxe version of Music/SteeleyeSpan's ConceptAlbum of ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'' has Tiffany singing that she must escape the Wintermith in counterpoint to the Wintersmith singing that he [[IJustWantToBeNormal just wants to be human]].

A SubTrope of LetsDuet. See also CallAndResponseSong.

A {{musical}} trope. One character sings a song, then another character sings to the same chords but a different melody, then both sing together in counterpoint. Most often used to express arguments or show that characters have differing opinions on the same subject, though occasionally merely employed for fun.

* "Prayer" from ''Theater/ComeFromAway'' culminates in Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu hymns being sung together.

* "For the First Time in Forever" and its reprise in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}''. The first version has Anna singing about her excitement that the castle gates are open once more while Elsa sings about her apprehension over the same thing. Meanwhile, the reprise has Anna trying to convince Elsa to return to Arendelle with her while Elsa tries to convince Anna that her remaining on the mountain is for the best.

* ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'':

** "I Am a Girl Like You" from ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInThePrincessAndThePauper''.

* In [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Once More With Feeling"]], though Joss Whedon tries to disguise it, during the counterpoint section in "Walk Through the Fire", the Scoobies and Sweet are actually singing pretty much the same tune. It just sounds different.

* ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear'''s second season has Kirika and Shirabe's main {{Image Song}}s revealed to be one of these when combined together.

* In "I Knew His Name" from ''Theatre/SheLovesMe'' Amalia sings about how well she gets on with her 'Dear Friend' even though she doesn't know what he looks like or even his real name. Meanwhile, Ilona laments in song how she knew a man's name and what he looked like, and he still turned out to be a scumbag. Both end the song by simultaneously asking "What's in a name?"

* "Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär" from ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'' starts as a solo, then segues into a counterpoint duet to show that Sisi and Rudolf are NotSoDifferent. The main melody of ''Spiegel'' complements Sisi's leitmotif and IWantSong, "Ich gehör nur mir" perfectly.

* "This Isn't My Idea" from ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', in which Odette and Derek, as children, lament how their parents are forcing them to spend time together. It later turns into DuetBonding as they grow older and fall in love.

* But NOT unusual in Creator/GilbertAndSullivan: offhand, "Welcome gentry" from Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}, for instance, or, for that matter, "I am so proud" from Theatre/TheMikado. Sullivan tended, when writing a double chorus, to either contrast fast and slow (say, "Tower warders"/"'Tis the autumn" from ''Theatre/TheYeomenOfTheGuard'', dotted rhythms vs. straight ("When the Foeman"/"Go ye heroes"), or triple meter vs. double meter.
** "I Am So Proud" from ''Theatre/TheMikado'' starts off as a counterpoint trio.
** The refrain in "Kind Captain, I've Important Information" from ''Theatre/HMSPinafore'' is in beautiful two-voice counterpoint.
** "Go Ye Heroes" plus "When the Foeman Bares His Steel" from ''Theatre/ThePiratesOfPenzance'' probably qualifies here.
** There's a bit of "With Cat-Like Tread" mixed in as well, adding in a smidgeon of DistantDuet.
** "How Beautifully Blue the Sky" is a unique example, given that the two melody lines are in [[UncommonTime different time signatures]].

** In Season 1 the titular song from the episode "On the Run" has Steven and Amethyst duet about life on the open road; but while Steven views it as a fun adventure with childish wonder, Amethyst sees it as her only escape from her troubled home life.

* ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'' has "On the Open Road". Goofy sings about how happy he is to be traveling with his son Max; Max sings about how he would rather be anywhere else.

* Melody and Ariel sing such a song, "For a Moment", in ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea''.

* "For the First Time in Forever" and its reprise in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}''. The first version has Anna singing about her excitement that the castle gates are open once more while Elsa sings about her apprehension over the same thing. Meanwhile, the reprise has Anna trying to convince Elsa to return to Arendelle with her while Elsa tries to convince Anna that her remaining on the mountain is for the best.
* ''WesternAnimation/AChristmasCarol1997'' has three songs like this. "Random Acts of Kindness" is about everyone in the tavern talking about how rewarding kindness is, while Scrooge feels kindness will come back to hurt you. Its reprise is about Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit arguing over whether to thank Scrooge or not. "Cross This Bridge" is about Belle breaking up with Scrooge, outlining their different views of life via song.

* Music/IrvingBerlin:
** "Play a Simple Melody" from ''Watch Your Step'' (1914)
** Topped by "Now/Later/Soon" in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'', which gives us a counterpoint ''trio'' of songs with only the slightest common elements...
*** Except that only Anne actually sings her exact part again; Fredrik and Henrik both sing heavily modified versions of their parts in order to fit with hers. But this song certainly fits the spirit of this trope if not the letter.
* "Mine" from ''Let 'Em Eat Cake'' is a HappilyMarried couple against a chorus who explain "the point they're making in the song."
** On the other hand, ''Literature/TheSecretGarden'' has the two male leads singing about "Lily's Eyes".
* "This Isn't My Idea" from ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', in which Odette and Derek, as children, lament how their parents are forcing them to spend time together. It later turns into DuetBonding as they grow older and fall in love.

* In ''Celebration'', Mr. Rich sings "Slowly Rising" in counterpoint to the Orphan's "Love Song."
* Used and [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in "One Step" from Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire's revue ''Starting Here, Starting Now'', where the characters sing this before the two sections are combined:
-->Now, I know you folks are very theatrically wise,\\
So I know this news won't come as the slightest surprise,\\
But just in case you're in doubt as to whether or not or whether,\\
This is one of those songs with two parts where both of them go together!
* Beethoven's opera ''Theatre/{{Fidelio}}'' has a famous Canon Quartet: four characters expressing their different concerns over the same situation.
** Wagner (who studied and admired Beethoven) used similar scenes to great effect. Thus, before the judicial duel in ''Lohengrin'', all the characters and the male and female choruses sing their separate views of the situation, mostly to different melodies, over and through each other. At the end of Act I of ''Siegfried'', Siegfried and Mime do the same. Most memorably, at the end of ''The Flying Dutchman'', the Dutchman's ghost crew fights a duel of song with the Norwegian sailors (reminiscent of the "Marseillaise" scene in

** "You're Just In Love" from ''Call Me Madam''
** "An Old-Fashioned Wedding" from ''Theatre/AnnieGetYourGun'' (added for the 1966 revival)
* Creator/StephenSchwartz:
** "All For The Best" from ''{{Theatre/Godspell}}'' (and a semi-example with "Tower of Babble" from the same show, with eight counterpoint lines)
** "Two's Company" from ''The Magic Show''
* Music/StephenSondheim:
** "Who Could Be Blue/Little White House", a CutSong from ''Theatre/{{Follies}}''
** "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through" from ''Follies'' (actually '''''two'' duets''' sung in counterpoint, because that's how he rolls.

** "Johanna (Quartet)" and "Kiss Me/Ladies in their Sensitivities", from ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet''
* The "Point of No Return" and "Angel of Music" duet in ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' climax.

* In the [[AllMusicalsAreAdaptations stage musical]] of ''Film/MaryPoppins'', this trope is used for "Jolly Holiday". Mary and her evil double, Miss Andrew, also do this in "Brimstone and Treacle, Part 2."
* In ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'', Ron and Draco sing "Granger Danger," a song about how seeing Hermione at the Yule Ball has made them both fall in love with her.
** On the other hand, ''Literature/TheSecretGarden'' has the two male leads singing about "Lily's Eyes".
* "This Isn't My Idea" from ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', in which Odette and Derek, as children, lament how their parents are forcing them to spend time together. It later turns into DuetBonding as they grow older and fall in love.

* "One Day More" from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' famously [[MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber superimposes pretty much every song in Act I on top of each other]], forming one of the most famous Act I finales of all time.
** The musical version of ''The Producers'' does something similar.
** Same with ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon''.
** Taking cues from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark Bigger, Longer, & Uncut'' does the same in the LaResistance medley.
** The aptly named "Act One Finale" from Theatre/{{Urinetown}} has a similar feel to One Day More, with several melodies superimposed on each other.

* ''Theatre/{{Finale}}'' has Leaving You/Me, where Noah sings about how he can't wait to go to college and Krista sings about how she is sad that her son is going to college.

* "Confrontation" from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' is a semi-example, since Valjean and Javert sing together throughout, but do switch melody lines.

* "Devil Take the Hindmost" from ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies''. Reprised as a quartet which fits the same trope.
* "Confrontation" from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' is a semi-example, since Valjean and Javert sing together throughout, but do switch melody lines.
** Another is "A Heart Full of Love", where Eponine sings a counterpoint to Marius and Cosette's love song about how Marius will never love her.
-->"He was never mine to lose"
** Later during the song's reprise "Everyday" Valjean also sings counterpoint to Marius and Cosette's love song this time about how he has to let the now adult Cosette go.
-->"She was never mine to keep"
** It's only a semi-example because she starts midway through the song and does not sing independently before the counterpoint.
* "Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You?" from ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' (barbershop quartet against Marian).
** Also, "Pick a Little, Talk a Little" and "Good Night, Ladies" with the gossip women and the barbershop quartet.
** "The Sadder But Wiser Girl" was supposed to be reprised as counterpoint to "My White Knight," but this SopranoAndGravel duet reprise was cut.

* "Another Day" from ''Theatre/{{Rent}}''

* "I Believe In You" from ''Theatre/HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying.''

* ''Theatre/JekyllAndHyde'' has "In His Eyes" with the two female leads singing about each other's feeling toward Jekyll.

* ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' has a slightly odd example in "A Boy Like That," where Maria sings the melody of "I Have A Love" first as counterpoint to Anita, and only then as a song of its own. (This duet concludes the "History of Musical Comedy" medley sung by Creator/CarolBurnett and Creator/JulieAndrews in their 1962 Carnegie Hall special, after they sing many songs from older Broadway musicals in counterpoint with each other.)
** A more usual example is the "Tonight" quintet/ensemble, which ends with Anita, Riff and Bernardo echoing the jazzy "We're gonna rock it tonight" motif against Tony and Maria's reprise of their earlier duet.
* "Don't Do Sadness" / "Blue Wind" from ''Theatre/SpringAwakening''. Moritz's half ("Don't Do Sadness") is a loud, rock-influenced BSODSong, while Ilse's half ("Blue Wind") is a nostalgic, [[LonelyPianoPiece piano-accompanied lament]].
** ''Theatre/SpringAwakening'' also has "Those You've Known", a duet between Moritz, [[spoiler:who tries to convince Melchior to commit suicide]] and Wendla, [[spoiler:who tries to convince him to stay alive.]]
* "If I Told You (reprise)" from ''Theatre/TheWeddingSinger'' Broadway musical. Julia sings the melody from the original song with Robbie singing counterpoint with different lyrics and a different melody.

* 'Party Conversation' in ''Theatre/WhenMidnightStrikes''. Murial tells Edward "I'm gonna make love to you...". He panics and starts backing away while singing inanely about everything '''but''' making love. Both tunes are reprised in counterpoint before they join together as Edward gives in.
* In ''Theatre/MissSaigon'', the song "I Still Believe" is sung by Kim and Ellen. Kim is alone in a hovel singing about how much she loves and misses Chris, praying and still fervently believing that he will come back for her. Ellen is halfway around the world in a comfortable bedroom, sitting right next to the sleeping Chris. Subverted in that the only counterpoint is the setting. Ellen's lyrics show that she is just as lonely and desperate as Kim (Chris' trauma over the loss of Kim has caused him to push Ellen away) and just as fervent in her belief that one day Chris will trust her enough to confide in her.
* ''Theatre/NextToNormal'':
** The song "Who's Crazy?/My Psychopharmacologist and I" is primarily sung by Diana and Dan, with the other actors as ensembles. Dan is reflecting on how and why Diana was having treatments while Diana was telling the audience her path of treatments.
** "You Don't Know/I Am The One"; Diana claims that Dan can't begin to understand what it's like to live with her mental illness before Dan tries to remind Diana that he is the one who's been [[TheCaretaker caring for her]] since this all started.
* "I Can't Imagine" from ''Vanities: The Musical'' has a counterpoint trio for its bridge. In the original score, the reprise was actually titled "Counterpoint". The counterpoint section was also the basis for the DarkReprise "The Argument" in the Second Stage production and subsequent shows.
* "The Yodel Blues" from ''[=Texas, Li'l Darlin'=]''.
* ''Theatre/BellsAreRinging'' had "Better Than A Dream" (written after the Broadway opening) for Ella and Jeff.
* In ''Theatre/TheUnsinkableMollyBrown'':
** Molly's refrain is sarcastically sung over by her brothers in "I Ain't Down Yet," with them finally ending up in three-part counterpoint.
** Molly sings "I May Never Fall In Love With You" as the Prince hums a second chorus of his song "Dolce Far Niente."
** "I'll Never Say No" and "My Own Brass Bed" were clearly intended to be sung in counterpoint (note that the final line of both songs is "but I'll (sure) never say no"), but the connection is obscured by "My Own Brass Bed" being sung in CommonTime instead of 3/4, and they are only played together in the Entr'acte.
* "I Like Ev'rybody" from ''Theatre/TheMostHappyFella'' develops into this in the Act III reprise, though Cleo's countermelody ("Smile, smile, smile, that's all you do") makes a partial appearance the first time.

* "One Day More" from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' famously [[MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber superimposes pretty much every song in Act I on top of each other]], forming one of the most famous Act I finales of all time.
** The musical version of ''The Producers'' does something similar.
** Same with ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon''.
** Taking cues from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark Bigger, Longer, & Uncut'' does the same in the LaResistance medley.
** The aptly named "Act One Finale" from Theatre/{{Urinetown}} has a similar feel to One Day More, with several melodies superimposed on each other.
* "Where Do We Go From Here" from ''Theatre/ZombieProm'' is an ensemble version.
* The [[AllMusicalsAreAdaptations stage adaptation]] of ''Theatre/{{Matilda}}'' has a few examples:
** "Miracle" - The children sing about being their parents' "miracle" as the parents sing about their "perfect" children.
** "When I Grow Up" - As Miss Honey sings her verse, Matilda sings a reprise of "Naughty."
** "My House" - Miss Honey sings about her cottage while Matilda and The Escapologist sing a reprise of "I'm Here."
* Theatre/ShrekTheMusical has three:
** Shrek and Donkey during "Travel Song".
** Shrek and Fiona during "I Think I Got You Beat".
** All three sing a Counterpoint ''Trio'' at the end of "Who I'd Be" (which also counts as a DistantDuet since Fiona is separate from Shrek and Donkey).

* ''Theatre/LaCageAuxFolles'' brings it UpToEleven with "Cocktail Counterpoint" - a number that ends up involving almost all of the principals singing in a multilayered counterpoint.
* ''Theatre/{{Finale}}'' has Leaving You/Me, where Noah sings about how he can't wait to go to college and Krista sings about how she is sad that her son is going to college.
* "What Is This Feeling?" from ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' plays with this, by having Elphie and Galinda on one melody line, while giving the other to the chorus.
** Later in ''Wicked,'' Elphaba and Glinda sing in counterpoint briefly in "For Good" - they have separate refrains, but combine them for the finale, in which it is also in counterpoint to the Ozians reprising "No One Mourns The Wicked".
** The opening version of NOMTW also has Glinda in counterpoint with the Munchkins for the final chorus.
** A different counterpoint duet in ''Wicked'' is "Wicked Witch of the East" - Nessa reprises her and Boq's passage from "Dancing Through Life", while Elphaba sings the incantation to [[spoiler:turn Boq into the Tin Man]] quietly in counterpoint.
* Creator/AndrewLloydWebber's version of ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera''- lots of counterpoint, especially in "Prima Donna"
** Also when the Phantom, Raoul, and Christine are all singing their respective songs at the same time in a DarkReprise ("The Point of No Return", "Think of Me", and "Angel of Music")
* "I Am So Proud" from ''Theatre/TheMikado'' starts off as a counterpoint trio.
* The refrain in "Kind Captain, I've Important Information" from ''Theatre/HMSPinafore'' is in beautiful two-voice counterpoint.
* "Go Ye Heroes" plus "When the Foeman Bares His Steel" from ''Theatre/ThePiratesOfPenzance'' probably qualifies here.
** There's a bit of "With Cat-Like Tread" mixed in as well, adding in a smidgeon of DistantDuet.
** "How Beautifully Blue the Sky" is a unique example, given that the two melody lines are in [[UncommonTime different time signatures]].
* But NOT unusual in Creator/GilbertAndSullivan: offhand, "Welcome gentry" from Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}, for instance, or, for that matter, "I am so proud" from Theatre/TheMikado. Sullivan tended, when writing a double chorus, to either contrast fast and slow (say, "Tower warders"/"'Tis the autumn" from ''Theatre/TheYeomenOfTheGuard'', dotted rhythms vs. straight ("When the Foeman"/"Go ye heroes"), or triple meter vs. double meter.

* "Yesterday I Loved You" from Theatre/OnceUponAMattress comes close but the melody of "In A Little While" is slightly modified to fit. In the revival there is also a point where Lady Larken joins Sir Harry in a harmony.
* "Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär" from ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'' starts as a solo, then segues into a counterpoint duet to show that Sisi and Rudolf are NotSoDifferent. The main melody of ''Spiegel'' complements Sisi's leitmotif and IWantSong, "Ich gehör nur mir" perfectly.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''

* "Strong in the Real Way" from the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "Coach Steven" has Steven and [[TeamMom Pearl]] both singing about what they think true strength means; but while Steven thinks it's about having outer strength, Pearl thinks it's inner strength.

* In ''WesternAnimation/CentralPark'', Season 1 "[[Recap/CentralParkS1E4GarbageBallet Garbage Ballet]]", "Rats" has Paige singing how she hates rats and wants to kill them, while Cole sings how rats don't deserve to be killed and they're good.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'', [[TeenGenius Varian]] has a duet with [[spoiler: [[FaceHeelTurn Cassandra]]]] named "Nothing Left to Lose" where Varian tries to convince them that they can still change sides while [[spoiler: Cassandra]] argues that they've come too far and have [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin nothing left to lose]].

* "For the First Time in Forever" and its reprise in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}''. The first version has Anna singing about her excitement that the castle gates are open once more while Elsa sings about her apprehension over the same thing. Meanwhile, the reprise has Anna trying to convince Elsa to return to Arendelle with her while Elsa tries to convince Anna that her remaining in the mountain is for the best.

* "Christmas Bells" from Theatre/{{RENT}} also fits here.

* "To Be Human" from the Deluxe version of Music/SteeleyeSpan's ConceptAlbum of ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'' has Tiffany singing that she must escape the Wintermith in counterpoint to the Wintersmith singing that he [[IJustWantToBeNormal just wants to be human]].