|
I'd go along with Mr Dunn-Rankin - because harmony is an inevitability of good counterpoint...but in practical terms you'll probably get more of a harmony perspective studying harmony first. If you play piano you can see the relationships/progressions on the keyboard.
For orchestration, you need the basic stuff in the first part of the Piston, then just study scores. You can buy textbooks with CD examples but scores and the relevant CDs are the way forward. You need to choose your pieces carefully tho. Don't jump straight in with The Rite!
If you want to write atonal it won't hurt to study traditional harmony because the notions of progression and good control still apply, so you'll be able to know better what you're doing...slapping notes all over the stave might make something atonal but that won't necessarily make a listenable composition.
|