A Handbook of Diction for Singers

A Handbook of Diction for Singers is a complete guide to achieving professional levels of diction in Italian, German, and French, the major languages of the classical vocal repertory. Written for English-speaking singers, it is an ideal textbook for students of diction and is also invaluable for voice teachers, vocal coaches, and conductors. This unique book combines traditional approaches proven successful in the teaching of diction with important new material not readily available...
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A Handbook of Diction for Singers is a complete guide to achieving professional levels of diction in Italian, German, and French, the major languages of the classical vocal repertory. Written for English-speaking singers, it is an ideal textbook for students of diction and is also invaluable for voice teachers, vocal coaches, and conductors. This unique book combines traditional approaches proven successful in the teaching of diction with important new material not readily available elsewhere. Employing the universally accepted International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), it presents the sounds of each language in logical order, along with essential information on matters such as diacritical marks, syllabification, word stress, and what to look for in dictionaries. A Handbook of Diction for Singers offers thorough and consistent explanations of Italian, German, and French pronunciation issues that typically create the most difficulty for English-speaking singers. It goes into greater detail than comparable texts, providing specific information and discussion of concepts especially important to singers. For Italian, it presents extensive coverage of the execution of phrasal diphthongs, as well as a detailed guide to the occurrences of open and closed e and o. For German, the question of when to use glottal attacks in singing is thoroughly discussed, as is the execution of phrasal consonant clusters. The French chapter gives many examples of the correct approaches to mute e (schwa) and glides, and also concisely but thoroughly presents liaison. Particular emphasis is placed on the characteristics of vowel length in all three languages. Illustrated with numerous examples and exercises, A Handbook of Diction for Singers is an exceptional text for courses in diction and a valuable reference source.