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Title: German Diction for English-speaking singers
Author: Jacqueline Pischorn
Editor: Ian Caddy
'GERMAN DICTION' is designed to have wide appeal as a handbook for English-speaking singers, amateur and professional, who study German vocal music (and dialogue), be it lieder, opera, operetta or oratorio, as well as being a quick guide through German pronunciation for conductors and repetiteurs.
It deals with specific problems for English-speakers who wish to sing and speak in German stage-language (Bühnenaussprache). It has been exhaustively prepared over two years, as an invaluable practice book and ready reference, for German language coaching at music conservatoires, throughout the singing profession, and for amateur soloists and choirs.
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Cover of German Diction for English-speaking singers |
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Jacqueline Pischorn has received financial support for 'German Diction for English-speaking singers' from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
The Book
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is used as guidance on pronunciation throughout the book, with a tabulation set out, to explain the sounds of IPA.
The letter 'ß' (scharfes S - "sharp s") is discussed. Its recent history and newly rationalised usage is explained, interlinked with its effect on the pronunciation of vowels preceding it.
Similarly, the pronunciation of the letter 'r' is highlighted - whether or not to roll an 'r' at the end of words, and the circumstances for it to be rolled with the uvular, rather than with the tip of the tongue which is the norm for singers.
PART I deals with specific sounds of the German language which are common to English sounds. Where this is not possible, the reader is referred to the enclosed CD-rom.
PART II is a guide to stage pronunciation (Bühnenaussprache) with a section on the German pronunciation of Latin, and sections on prefixes and suffixes with the rules to govern the pronunciation of compound words, and exercises to show their stressed or unstressed syllables. The conjugations and tenses of verbs can override basic rules; all this is explained - and glottal stops are indicated, too.
Photographs: 13 photos show the positions of the lips, when forming vowel sounds.
CD-rom enclosed: all examples and exercises used in 'German Diction for English-speaking singers' can be heard on the enclosed CD-rom which is essential to the full understanding of the book. The words on the recording are declaimed and spoken slowly in order to minimize any misunderstanding of pronunciation. In colloquial speech one would not hear such precise enunciation.
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Paperback - format: A5 - pagination: ii + 82 published 2007
CD-rom enclosed (282 tracks of spoken examples)
13 black & white photos of mouth positions
numerous cross-references
ISBN: 978-1-897653-00-5
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