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Phonetics in brief:
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Then, how do we define diction? What does that exactly mean for a
singer?
Whats wrong with this picture? It is clear that most students decouple
the pronunciation from any expressive content in the language.
Granted, we cant even begin to express if the sounds are incorrect, so it
is warranted that attention is often focused on the minute details of
phonetics, and how the articulators (tongue, teeth, lips) and air function
to produce the correct sound. However, can the pronunciation even
be considered correct if there is no thought to declamation and
elocution? Can a singers diction be correct if there is no attention
paid to the meaning of the sentence, or how it needs to be
communicated in the context of an emotion or action?
Also, every language has unique elements that make it DIFFERENT Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Italic
differentiate it from other languages. Obviously idioms and structure Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Italic
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are part of this equation, but a good composer/poet has solved the
puzzle to some degree. The choices singers need to make are how to
make Italian sound like Italian, French like French, German like German,
English like English, etc. What are the elements of phonetics that are
unique from language to language? The informed communicator has
more tools to wring out the rhetoric and direct listeners to the beauty
and power of language, as well as the specific focus of the poem/prose,
be it sentimental, didactic, surreal, or even nonsense.
Therefore, my definition of diction is inclusive of EXCELLENT Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Italic
excellent (not correct) pronunciation, THOUGHTFUL thoughtful Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Italic
declamation, and POWERFUL powerful elocution. Any speech, even with Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Italic
the most fascinating ideas and calls to action, is uninspiring if the
speaker does not communicate well. Therefore singers who intend on
communicating life and passion to an audience MUST must be superior Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Italic
at diction.
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1) These dictionaries are for SPOKEN diction, NOT lyric. In ALL
languages lyric diction will differ from spoken, to some degree or
another.
2) NO resource is infallible. There will be mistakes in every source.
However, a smart and FLUENT student of language will cull from
multiple sources and take the mean.
1) The limitations of JUST just using the chart and not the other Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Italic
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musicians and non-musicians alike, but since we are dealing on
a daily basis with multiple languages, the use of IPA is a must.
3) Other languages NOT covered in this resource
The power of the IPA is fully realized in its transference to
other languages that singers might encounter, including English,
Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Keep in mind that the IPA works for
EVERY language, not just the ones covered in this resource.
4) The particulars of writing IPA above or below the text.
My argument for writing the IPA above the text is as follows: If a
singer is following the text in a voice lesson or coaching, it is more likely
that they are checking their pronunciation as they go along, as opposed
to tracking the translation. It is easier to track the IPA if it is above the
line, as opposed to being below. Nico Castel uses this format, as does
the Odom and Moriarty and Grubb, so I am in good company. I do
acknowledge that there are other systems, so students should choose to
do what works best in their own written work for their lessons and
coachings. However, in my class, students will be expected to write their
IPA above the line, not below.
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issues. The lyric diction rules, as with all languages, often differ
profoundly from the spoken, and Italian is no exception.
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1. All Vvowels: (Rregardless of whether there are five or seven, Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Bold
2. The need to differentiate between single and double Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Bold
consonantsSingle vs. Double Consonants : . The difference Formatted: Font: +Body (Cambria), 14 pt, Bold
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inadvertent diphthong on final es or os in Italian stem from
the natural instinct to close the mouth at the end of a word or
sentence.
Keeping in mind these six basic fundamental qualities will raise the
Italian production value of any singer.
ITALIAN VOWELS
This book will follow the Garzanti premise (and generally accepted
practice, both spoken and lyric) that there are seven vowels in Italian,
[], [i], [], [e], [],[o] and [u]. Please refer to the vowel chart on page
blah for further clarification.
1. The [] vowel "Italianate/Germanic- a"
This vowel is the most open AND one of the most back vowels on
the chart. One will notice that the difference between [] and [] is very
little. There are some sources that state that the a in English is
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equivalent to that of Italian. I must, however, agree with Colornis
assessment that the a vowel in Italian is the more forward/brighter of
the vowels as is true of most of the other vowels in Italian. John
Moriarty in his Diction book also agrees with Colorni. The title of this
vowel in my book reflects the controversial nature of this sound.
There are varying degrees of brightness to the vowel, and arguably the
greatest variance is in the a vowel. You can see that, according to the
chart and common usage for singers, they go from bright to dark in the
following order (and I have listed the languages that the Warnant and
Dudens use as the appropriate representation of the vowels: [a]
(French) [] (German/Italian) [] (English). It is rare that singers sing
these vowels too brightly. The vowel can be too spread, of course, but
this is a separate issue. It is my experience that most native speakers of
English will sing this particular vowel too dark, regardless of instruction
of the vowel in relation to English. One of my students who was a native
French speaker did in fact sing her Italian a vowels too bright, but this
is a rare occurrence.
symbol). Contrasting words like sole and the German sohn can be of
help.
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tongue positioned too high. This makes the vowel more shallow and it
loses its (fundamental frequency???)
There are many sources that agree/disagree on this issue (see the note
for Caccini above). I draw from the Garzanti, my knowledge of Italian
and listening to Italian speakers, and the wisdom of Colorni to guide my
reasoning. Since lyric diction is different from spoken, I will use more
open vowels generally speaking than the average Italian speaker.
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So I hear the collective groan of the student at the thought of having to
look up each and every Italian word with a non-final stressed o or e.
Other sources wade through and find patterns, and then attach rules to
such patterns. This is possible, but the list of exceptions is just as
onerous. My strategy is to have the student memorize a list of common
Italian words and endings. Otherwise, the Websters New World Italian
Dictionary (or the Garzanti) will work for looking up the rest of the
words. A couple things to remember with these dictionaries:
1. The Websters New World Italian Dictionary is for SPOKEN Italian,
not lyric. Therefore all the rules listed above governing non-
stressed es and os will be in contradiction.
2. The Garzanti ONLY concerns itself with the stressed vowel. This
alleviates any confusion a student may find in looking up words
and solving these words using the IPA in the Websters, for
instance.
3. My graduate students have the option of closing unstressed
vowels, should they deem it preferable. One tends to notice, then,
that the majority of vowels sung in Italian will be closed. I cant
help but think of the soutenu style of French diction, which OPENS
the majority of common, mono-syllabic words, and other vowels
that are usually closed in the courant (current) style of French.
But each singing student needs to decide what is MOST functional
for her voice and technique at that time. This is perhaps the
MOST important take-away from this discussion.
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bella (bel, bello) beautiful []
nella (nel, nei, etc.) in the, with the etc. [e]
della (del, dei etc.) of the, from the etc. [e]
pene pain [e]
amore love [o]
dove where [o]
come how, like [o]
cosa thing []
sono I am, they are [o]
voglio, vo I want []
so I know []
ancor again [o]
dolce sweet [o]
core, cuore heart []
foco, fuoco fire []
occhi eyes []
oggi today []
ogni each, every [o]
noi we [o]
voi you (pl.) [o]
sole sun [o]
solo, sola alone [o]
notte night []
giorno day [o]
voce voice [o]
non not [o]
ho I have []
bocca mouth [o]
fior flower [o]
Suffixes/Endings
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- ente ex. dolente []
-esimo ex. centesimo []
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Other solutions:
VOCALIC HARMONIZATION
The Nico Castel Libretti books utilize vocalic harmonization. This is also
common in French. The concept is that the stressed vowel of the word
dictates the position of the other non-stressed vowels. For instance:
Dove sono. The stressed vowels in both words are closed. With my
approach, the undergraduate should open the unstressed e and o.
The Nico in fact closes ALL the vowels. In contrast, a word like
serpentello utilizes nothing but open vowels. The Volume II of The
Libretti of Mozarts Completed Operas has a lovely explanation of this
concept on p. xvii. I highly encourage this approach to the more
sophisticated singer.
MAKE IT WORK
One of the other benefits to the Italian language in re singing is that it is
flexible enough to accommodate multiple vocal approaches. Singers
need to keep in mind that making the difference meaningful between
[pn] and [pen] is rather important, considering the very unique
meanings of each of these words. This notwithstanding, and my point to
all of this, is will the singer communicate the idea, and can this idea be
understood by the general population. Its one thing for a listener to find
your pronunciation odd, and its another thing entirely to just not be
understood.
GLIDES
Glides are defined (according to Introductory Phonology) as non-
syllabic equivalents of vowels. As a result they can be described in two
different ways. [j] is described as a voiced palatal central approximate,
but also a high, front, unrounded glide (being a variation of the [i]
vowel). The [w] is described as a voiced labial-velar approximate, as
well as a high, back, rounded glide, being a variation of the [u]. The
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most problematic of the sounds of Italian occur with this symbol, the [].
I describe this sound (and this is thanks to many students who longed to
put a descriptive term on this symbol besides a voiced palatal lateral
glide) the gli. This is, as its name implies, a fairly difficult sound to
wrap the head around. The tip of the tongue should be down, and
against the lower teeth. The articulation is made with the blade of the
tongue (which include both sides of the tongue) as well as in
combination with the dorsal part of the tongue. This sound should in no
way be confused with the [l], which is only the combination of the tip of
the tongue against the upper teeth, and the blades. The [l] is also a
lateral, but not a palatal consonant, an important differentiation. A great
way to work on the difference is to use the name Guglielmo. You
should feel a distinct difference between the second and third
consonants. This sound occurs in Italian, as well as other languages
such as Portuguese, Norwegian, and Occitan.
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The [w] should be used when a u is followed by a vowel and
unstressed. Any stressed u will be transcribed as [u], as it is syllabic. So
pu will be transcribed as [pw], and lui will be transcribed as [lu:i].
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Examples of diphthongs
One of the most interesting things about Italian is the two and three-
letter words that result in diphthongs. Common words include: mio,
io, suo, pie, and cui. Every single one of these words has the
stress on the first vowel. So, as in the example pie ([pi:] (meaning
pious), the stressed vowel is primary, but the secondary vowel is not a
glide, as [] cannot be a glide. pi, meaning foot, is pronounced [pj].
Cui is another important and oft mispronounced word. Cui [ku:i]
means where or which, a part of an object pronoun. Qu [kwi]
means here, an adverb. Other occurrences of diphthongs can happen
with other vowels, such as Laura [la:u] or paura [pau:]. One of the
most tricky is Eumenidi, for example in Smanie, implacabili from
Cos fan tutte. An example of multiple text settings would be "Iago",
which can be [jg] or [i:g].
These have the same basic concepts attached as in French, when used
by the Garzanti in showing stress. The accento acuto will identify the
vowel as closed, as well as stressed. The accento grave will identify the
vowel as open, as well as stressed. The Garzanti in fact uses these
accents to identify the stressed vowel as well as the quality of the vowel
(open or closed, in reference to es and os. You will see a mix of open
and closed accent marks on the last syllable of an Italian word, if it is
stressed. The dieresi identifies the vowel as being syllabic. For example,
consider the word bomi in Neddas ballatella from I Pagliacci. The
e is syllabic. It also happens to be open, but that is not necessarily the
case of all vowels that use the dieresi.
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TRIPTHONGS
As mentioned before, triphthongs are a combination of three vowels
that make a single syllable. Examples of these in Italian are miei
[mj:i], suoi [sw:i], guai [gw:i], and so forth. Some examples of a
combination of two glides + a primary vowel would be would be
seguiamo [sgwja:m] or aiuola [jw:l]. Again, depending on the
setting, these could be split up into multiple syllables.
ITALIAN CONSONANTS
The other beautiful thing about Italian is that the discussion of vowels
is quite short. Now we delve into what makes Italian consonants
unique.
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differences between the two regarding this concept, and the language
itself takes care of the differences. You are not going to find that
German lilts in the same way just because you use a double ss in
Wasser just like you would for stesso. Each word may resemble the
other out of context, but in a sentence the overall effect is different,
mainly because of the more predictable nature of the stress of a German
word, which will mostly happen on the first syllable of the root. And,
just like double consonants can have an onomatopoetic effect in
German, such as bitterlich, the same can happen in Italian, such as
orrore.
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occulto [k:ku:lt], and macchia [mk:kj]. Then, "c" followed by a
consonant will also be [k] or [k:k], such as crudele [krudl].
When c is followed by e or i, it will become the affricate [t].
Words such as cielo and cede will be [t:l] and [t:d]. It is
important to note that when c is followed by i and then another
vowel, the i is SILENT. In no reputable Italian dictionary will you see
some kind of [j]. This is a perception problem that exists, generally with
native speakers of English.
When c is doubled and followed by e or i, it will look like [t:t], in
words like faccia [ft:t] (face) and accesso (access) [t:ts:s].
Again, it is important to note that the i is silent! Also 'ascese' -
threshold
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some kind of [j]. So words like "sciabola", "scendere", "lasciare" and
"scienza" will be transcribed ['bl], ['nd], [l'], and
[nts].
2) Ending a word and the next word in the same phrase begins with a
vowel. All parts of this rule must be present in order to meet the
specifications for a [].
Otherwise, all other 'r's will be transcribed as [r]. Double 'rr' will always
be transcribed as [r:r]. This might seem redundant to some; but, for
native speakers of English, this hammers home the need for the student
to make a greater-than-average effort to roll 'r's. Also, in other
instances of rolled-'r's, such as "guarda", there will be slightly less
length on an [r] in this instance, as opposed to "terror", which should
look (and sound like) [tr:ror].
Discussion:
a) Some students have insisted to me that a [r] "sounds better in a large
space"...so by that definition logically we should be doubling all
consonants in Italian. This flies in the face of the fact that using an [r] in
place of an [] will change the meaning of the word. For example,
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substituting an [r] for [] in the word "core" (heart) will change it to the
word "corre", which means "runs". Clearly these are two very different
meanings. This is the effect of the phonemic phenomenon discussed
earlier, and also hammers home the importance of paying attention to
minute details, as this *can* damage the effect of your communication.
Also, Italian speakers make the differentiation between [r] and [], so
there is no reason that a good communicator of Italian from the opera
stage can't be understood when using the [].
b) This rule can get confusing. First off, to reiterate, the 'r' must end the
word in question. So, all Italian words that begin with an 'r' must be
rolled. A good example of this rule in practice would be the line "per
arcano desio" from the recitative of Nedda's ballatella (I Pagliacci). This
line should be transcribed [perkndzi:]. The first 'r' ends a word
and the phrase continues with another word beginning with a vowel.
Another famous example is the line "Amor, amor", from the ending of
the first act duet of La Bohme. Good Italian singers will sing
[momor]. The first 'amor' is followed by a comma, but since the 'r' is
final in a word and followed by a vowel in the same phrase it will be a
tap/flap. The final 'r' should be a trill. Another good example that crops
up in many songs is the phrase 'per amore', which should be transcribed
[pemo].
APOCOPATION/ELISION
There is another phenomenon frequently encountered in Italian, the
concept of apocopation. This means that a final vowel or final syllable is
elided from a word (eliding can mean "the act of omission or
suppression", which is the salient definition for our purposes).
Apocopation occurs more frequently in literary and poetic language, and
rarely in speech (another example of the wide variance between speech
and spoken). A common manifestation of apocopation is indeed found in
the word "amor". Its complete form should be "amore", but the final
vowel is omitted, or elided. A couple of popular examples of the
omission of a complete syllable would be "po'", and "vo'". The original
words are "poco" and voglio". Note the ' symbol calls attention to the
fact that there is a missing syllable. You won't see that at the end of
Italian words that are just missing a vowel. It is also helpful to note that
this happens in German as well. "Griesch'chem" has a comma to show
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that there is a missing vowel, which for all purposes eliminates a
syllable.
S
'S's in Italian are also governed by two basic rules. An 's' will be [z]
when:
1) Intervocalic (otherwise known as the "Rose" rule, famously coined by
Moriarty.
2) When 's' is followed by a voiced consonant. It should be noted that
glides do not count as consonants in this instance.
Examples of voicing the 's' would be words like "rose", "cosa", "snello",
and "fantasma". These should be transcribed as [rz], [kz], [znl:l],
and [fntzm].
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and "si sente". So note that, instead of two separate words, we have one
single word with the stress on the first syllable.
GN
The 'gn' in Italian is always pronounced [], or [:]. Words like
"signore", "agnellina", "sogno" and "montagna" should be transcribed as
[sio], [l:lin], [so:], and [mnt:] (notice I'm mixing up the
doubling to accommodate both schools of thought). "Ognor" = always
Z
The 'z' in Italian is tricky, and the third most important reason to have a
reputable Italian dictionary by your side. The 'z' becomes an affricate,
and can be transcribed as [ts], [t:ts], [dz], or [d:dz]. Obviously when the
'z' is doubled it is clear that one needs the doubled affricate. However,
the rub comes in deciding which one. In fact, the 'z' must always be
looked up to determine whether it is voiced or unvoiced. The following
examples demonstrate this:
One can see that initial or internal 'z's can be either voiced or unvoiced.
As Nico points out, the current trend in initial 'z's is to voice them.
However, the word "zingarelle" in Traviata is still transcribed as
[tsigl:l], as we are still going by mid to late 19th c. rules.
N-ASSIMILATION
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great detail in the introduction to many of his Italian libretti. The basic
concept is that an 'n' in Italian, in certain environments, will maintain
the manner of articulation (which is nasal) but yield its place to the
following consonant. This is actually a phenomenon that happens in
many languages, including English. A word such as "information" can be
pronounced using assimilation, depending on the speaker and the speed
of the speech. One will note that assimilation decreases the amount of
articulations in a word, therefore increasing speed, ease, and flexibility.
This is a possibility within words, as well as words within a phrase. This
happens in the three environments described below.
This makes singing a text like "parlo d'amor con me" in Cherubino's
"Non so pi" a good deal easier. Practice going back and forth between
articulating an 'n' in "con me" and then use the assimilation. You can see
that using the assimilation means that the tongue doesn't move. The
nasality of the 'n' remains, but the tongue should be still and neutral at
the bottom of the mouth.
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Again you will notice, in pronunciation, that the tongue is stable while
the teeth and lips articulate both sounds.
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adding sophistication to the language. My only required use of phrasal
doubling is for the words "O Dio".
Chapter 2 - French
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meaner" version, using the bite of language to convey intense emotion,
as opposed to greater verbiage of the first version (notably at the end of
the first act, when Edgardo discovers that Luca has signed the wedding
contract).
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French verse, and often the mute-e (or e-muet, or e-atone, meaning
"unstressed") is part of that syllable count. So if you are reciting French
poetry, you need to in fact pronounce the mute (if, and only if, it is part
of the syllable count), as it is part of the line (which means you need to
understand the style of the French verse. This of course becomes less
clear when you enter the world of vers libr and the Symbolists). Of
course, when you get to composers such as Debussy (who focused on
the more spoken aspect of French) or Ravel (who often set prose) you
find the setting of the e-muet losing its impact on the melody, or even
being eliminated altogether. One can read more about this topic in the
fascinating book Understanding French Verse: A Guide for Singers by
David Hunter. It is a small but precious resource for comprehending the
vast difference between the spoken vs. lyrical French.
1) The French legato - Italian has its strong identification with stress
within a word. English and German utilize tonic stress, or the stress of
the root of a word. French stress of words, in contrast, depend on their
position within a phrase. A lovely example used by Mr. Hunter is the
contrast of the phrases "un joli matin" and "un matin brumeux". In the
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first phrase the final "in" of "matin" is the destination of the speaker.
However, in the second phrase, the destination would be "meux" of
"brumeux". The common usage of liason and elision underscore the
phrasal movement. French is described as seamless, fluid, and flowing,
so this is a necessary focus for the successful singing of French.
VOWELS
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incorporate, and advanced singers can look to incorporate this into their
elocution.
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This is a new vowel used in both French and German. It is not
present in Italian or English. This vowel is described as a high, fronted,
rounded vowel. So the tongue position is at its highest point and the lips
are at the most rounded. I usually like to have students start by saying
[i], then [u], then [y]. You can also start with [u]. It doesn't matter, as
long as the lip rounding and high tongue occur simultaneously.
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produce the [] correctly and is observant of the phrasing, the
substitution is completely functional.
SYLLABIFICATION
Before we can proceed to the vowels, we need to understand how
the French syllabify, as this will from the outset be a major player in the
pronunciation of the vowels. In my experience, this relatively short list
of rules should help the student through most words encountered in
their singing life.
1) a single consonant between two vowels will be grouped with
the second vowel. "Y" will count as a consonant. So a word like "depuis"
will look like de/puis. Other examples (the (e) refers to the mute,
sometimes part of the syllable count and sometimes not):
se/rei/n(e) /tour/di(e) m/lo/dieus(e)
re/te/nu(e)
sereine tourdie mlodieuse retenue
Exception: any vowel followed by "x" will be grouped with the 'x'; so
exactement will be ex/ac/te/ment
Exception: If an 'r' and 'l' occur in sequence, they will be split down the
middle
hor/lo/ge par/lez re/pliaient
horloge parlez repliaient
They were folding back
3) A group of two consonants, including double consonants, will
be split down the middle.
mur/mur(e) re/non/ce em/bar/quer in/ter/dit
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murmure renonce embarquer interdit
"prohibited"
oc/cu/p efi ex/cel/len/c(e) en/tour
occup effroi excellence entour
(around)
Exception: Double 'mm', 'nn' and 'ill' must be grouped with the first
vowel. Also, the combination of 'mn' must be grouped with the first
vowel.
aill/eurs
ailleurs
"elsewhere"
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ACCENT MARKS
The French have four accent marks that affect the pronunciation
of the vowel.
Accent grave = `
Accent aigu =
Accent circomflex =
Accent dierisis -
The rules and application will be discussed in the vowel rules section.
VOWEL RULES
I have had students describe the French rules to be like "if the
woman standing on the corner has a blue umbrella and it's Tuesday and
11:47 in the morning, then the 'e' will be..." The French rules are indeed
both lengthy, and there are a tremendous amount of exceptions. But the
student should take heart; if you have access to reliable resources like
the Warnant you can always look something up. Also, resources like this
book (or other notable resources like Thomas Grubb's Singing in French
as well as the Moriarty Diction) can be helpful to have around.
a) Use [a] when there is an 'a' or '' that is not in combination with
other vowels, and not when followed by a single 'm' or 'n' in the same
syllable.
[paf] [sa] [la] [mam ]
parfait sage l maman
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c) Use [waj] when there is an 'oy' spelling. 'Oy' is generally not
followed by 'm' or 'n' in the same syllable.
2) Rules for []
Exceptions = too many to list. This is a grey area. One can find many
exceptions to this (i.e. chasser), or one can look in dictionaries that do
not even use the [] at all. According to the Warnant, people who were
born in 1950 or later don't use the [] at all, in either the courante or the
soutenu. If one is to stay consistent with the concept that we use the
appropriate style for the appropriate time period, we should follow the
Warnant. Instead of listing many exceptions here, I encourage the
student to use the Warnant to look up words that have 'a' followed by
's'.
Otherwise, when "a" is not in combination with other vowels, use [a].
a) Use [u] for "ou" and "o" when not in combination with other
vowels. 'Ou' is generally not followed by 'm' or 'n' in the same syllable.
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[su] [tu]
sous tout
a) Use [i] for 'i', ',''' , or 'y' when not in combination with other
vowels. Do not use [i] when the above is followed by "m" or "n" in the
same syllable.
[isi il tais]
ici le Thas
a) Use [y] for 'u', '' and '' when not in combination with other
vowels. Do not use [y] when the above is followed by 'm' or 'n' in the
same syllable.
[ky fyz]
cr refuse
"increase"
b) Use [y] for some forms of the verb 'avoir' (pass simple,
imperfect subjunctive, and the compound tenses)
[il a y ym]
il a eu emes
"he had" "we had"
6) Rules for [e] - Use [e] when:
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"to lean" 'pillow' 'shepherd' 'first' 'country'
Exceptions:
[ i or j fj]
cher - dear hier - yesterday fier - proud
i) for the nouns 'quai' and 'clef', meaning 'dock' and 'key'.
[ke kle]
quai clef
7) Rules for []
[p]
a) pre - 'father'
[fnt]
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b) fentre - 'window'
[nl]
c) Nol - 'Christmas'
d) *for the words 'ces', 'des', 'es', 'est', 'les', 'mes', 'ses', 'tes'
*Remembering that these words are closed in the courant, but open in
the soutenu, according to the Warnant.
e) for 'ai' or 'ay' followed by anything except: 'il' or 'ill' in the same
syllable, or 'm' or 'n' in the same syllable. If followed by 'il' or 'ill' in the
same syllable, the 'a' stands alone and will be treated as a single 'a'.
[f l tava:j p m p:jza]
faire aile travail paix j'aime paysage
g) for nouns ending in "ai", like "mai", "essai", and "balai" ('may',
'essay' and 'broom'). "Un balai te suffira" (Carmen)
[pal i]
parlaient riraient ils aient
'they were speaking' 'they were laughing'
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*Optional - words with the prefix 'eff-' and 'des-'
[fau des d]
'effarouche' and 'descendre'
"scare off"
* Warnant of course opens both these vowels in the soutenu, but the
courant has made its way back in sources like the Nico Castel. Once you
have considered vocal harmonization and other essentials of the words
and melody, you can decide what works best for you.
8) Rules for []
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c) Use [] for the second person singular ending '-es' and the third
person plural ending '-ent'. Be aware that sometimes the pronoun will
not be present, so the student needs to be sure of the translation to
determine if the '-ent' is a verb ending or part of an adjective like
'humblement'.
[ty m ty t dm ilze ]
tu aimes tu chantes demeurent ils changent
"remain"
d) [] is used for some forms of the verb "faire" (to do or to make)
[gem devum ]
gaiement dvouement
"gaily" "devotion"
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a) Use [o] for
[dol kote]
drle ct
funny coast
[tl pital]
*Two very important exceptions...htel and hpital
b) Use [o] for "au" and "eau", except when 'au' is followed by 'r'
[]
aurore
[poze oz]
poser rose
mort dort
"death" "sleeps"
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10) Rules for []
b) Use [:j] for 'eu' ,'oe', and 'ue' when followed by il in the same
syllable
NASALS
Use [ ] for the following spellings when followed by a single 'm' or 'n' in
the same syllable:
am - jambe
an - tant
em - temps
en - enfant
ean - Jean
aen - Messiaen
aon - Paon
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Saint-Sans -
Use - [ ] for the following spellings when followed by a single 'm' or 'n'
in the same syllable
im - timbre
in - fin
ym - thym
yn - syncope ("contraction")
aim - faim
ain - main
eim - Rheims
ein - peintre
oin = [w ] loin
ien = [j ] bien Exc. words like "patientes": this
will be solved as [pasj t], so the 't' and the nasal will resolve in an
unusual way.
yen = [j ] moyen Les Troyens
Use [] for the following spellings when 'o' is followed by a single 'm' or
'n' in the same syllable:
om - ombre
on - profond
eon - mangeons
Use [] for the following spellings when 'u' is followed by a single 'm' or
'n' in the same syllable"
'Em - ' and 'rem' prefixes, and other unique words with 'e'
Often words with the prefix 'em-' and 'rem-' in French will begin with a
[ ], even though there is more than one 'm' or 'n' in the same syllable.
There are other words that simply don't follow the rules at all, but have
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a unique solution. It is best if these words are memorized. This is not an
exhaustive list, but one that is rudimentary.
ardemment
"fervently"
Glides
We have three glides in French, the [w], the [j], and the [].
The [j] is used for any 'i' or 'y' that is unstressed and followed by a
vowel. It is also used for 'il' and 'ill' if 'il' or 'ill' is in the same syllable.
The [w] is used when 'ou' is unstressed and followed by a vowel (rare)
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Final consonants
The most important final consonants that are generally silent when final
are 'p', 's', 't', and 'x'
[pul k]
Poulenc is also an exception
'f' is sounded
'g' is silent
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'l' is sounded when not preceded by 'i'.
seul bal nul
"alone" "dance" "invalid"
vil
'n' is silent
Pan maman
'p' is silent
'q' is sounded
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2) the adjective endings '-cher', '-eiller', '-'ger' -ier', and '-yer'
[ks]
'x' is silent except Aix - en - Provene
Initial/interior consonants
c = [s] when:
1) 'c' is followed by an 'e', 'i', or 'y'
2) = [s]
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"boy" "ice cube" "suspicion"
c=[k] when followed by 'a', 'o', 'u', or any consonant other than 'h'.
'ch' = []
'd' = [d]
'f' = [f]
fond faire ferai
"depths" "to do/make" will make
guerre guette
"war" "wait"
gn = [] agneau magnifique
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'h' is always silent, but an 'h-aspire' will affect liason (discussed later)
'k' = [k]
kilomtre
'qu' = [k]
'l' = [l]
(remember that 'ill' will generally give us [i:j], except for the famous
exceptions under "A thousand tranquil villages", mille, tranquille, ville
'p' = [p]
'r' in spoken French is of course a voiced uvular trill []. However this is
not used in singing, so all French 'r's are (when pronounced), by default
[]. However, certain uses of [r] are acceptable, for instance in a word
like "bruit", which means 'noise'. But use [r] sparingly. Overuse will
make your French sound Italian.
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Otherwise 's' = [s] in all other cases
salut psychologie
However, 't' will = [s] in the following suffixes (and note that the 'ien'
combination that usually gives us [j ] gives us [j ] instead:
-tiable insatiable
[pasj s]
- tience patience
- tion nation
- tient patient
- tieux ambitieux
- tieuse ambitieuse
but verb endings of -tion will always use [t], as in btions ("let's build")
Liason/lision
Elision is defined as the omission of a final vowel within a line in order
to loose the unstressed connection to the following word in the same
sentence.
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GERMAN
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2) The differences between a long and a short vowel. Consider the
length of time you take to say bead and bid, or sit and seat. The [i] vowel
in both of these examples will be vocalized slightly longer than the [I]
vowel. This is similar to how Italian works in that if the vowel is short
you go to the consonant faster. If the vowel is long you linger on the
vowel and delay the consonant as much as possible.
The [] vowel - This vowel is the equivalent of the Italian. It sits slightly
higher than English, but not as bright as French
The [o] vowel - This vowel is the same as the French vowel, not the
Italian! This vowel needs to be very round and high.
The [] vowel - We call this 'hook-u', to help us derive the sound. This
vowel is just the same as English, except slightly more rounded. Words
like 'wood' and 'could' (and of course 'hook') use this vowel.
The [u] vowel - This vowel is virtually the same in all languages.
The [i] vowel - This vowel is virtually the same in all languages.
The [I] vowel - We call this vowel 'big-I'. This vowel is just the same as
English, except it sits just a little higher, similar to [] and []. Words
like 'sit' and 'bit' and 'with' use this vowel.
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The [e] vowel - This vowel is the same as the French vowel, not the
Italian! This vowel needs a very high tongue position, very close to the
[i] vowel
The [e2] vowel - This vowel is the same as the Italian closed -'e' vowel.
The tongue position should be slightly lower than the above vowel.
The [] vowel - This vowel is the same as Italian and English. Words like
'said' and 'wed' use this vowel.
The [y] vowel - This vowel, the 'little-y',is just like the French. This
vowel is described as a high, fronted, rounded vowel. So the tongue
position is at its highest point and the lips are at the most rounded. I
usually like to have students start by saying [i], then [u], then [y]. You
can also start with [u]. It doesn't matter, as long as the lip rounding and
high tongue occur simultaneously.
The [Y] vowel - This vowel is called the 'big-y' vowel. This does not
occur in French. This vowel is described as a mid-high, mid-rounded
vowel. The two combination vowels are [I] and []. Put your tongue in
the [I] position and then round your lips into a []. Again, the order
doesn't matter, as long as the lip rounding and tongue position occur
simultaneously. Many students find this a problematic vowel.
The [] vowel - ('o'-slash) This vowel is just like the French. This is
described as a high, fronted, rounded vowel. However, it is not quite as
high or as rounded. It is a combination of [e] and [o]. Most often
students do not incorporate enough height in the tongue. Do the same
exercise as above, except with [e] and [o]. The biggest problem is that
[e] and [o] don't occur as pure vowels in English, so native speakers of
English struggle with the production of the closed-e and closed -o right
off the bat. Students should practice this sound often.
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procedure described above to make sure both the tongue position and
the rounding are equal and simultaneous.
The [] vowel - This is not the French equivalent!! This vowel should
never be rounded!! We use this sound in English, with words like
'heaven' [hvn]. A good example of a German word would be
"Himmel" [hIm:ml]. This vowel is low and central, lower than the [].
The [] vowel - This vowel occurs in English with words like father
[f]. Words in German utilize this 'r'-colored schwa in the same
fashion, like Vater - [ft]. This vowel is known as a rhotic vowel, in
which the approximate [] is sounded after a vowel.
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adverb. The root of this word is therefore 'liv', regardless of the part of
speech, in this instance. Other words can just be roots in and of
themselves, like "Mond", "hin", "der", etc. The Odom talks about
'elements' and being able to take apart a German word (if necessary) to
break it down into its particular elements. A German example showing
how to find a root is this: 'leben' in German means "to live". The
following words that are the equivalent of the English are 'lebe', 'lebte',
'lebhaft' and 'das leben'. The letters 'leb' are what each word has in
common, reading from left to right. Therefore the "root" of the word is
"leb". This is crucial to understand because determining the
open/closed nature of the vowel will depend on how many consonants
follow this vowel in the "root".
Examples of German prefixes are 'an', 'ge', 'be', 'vor', 'emp', 'ent', 'er',
'ver', 'zer', 'un', 'aus', 'auf'
Examples of German suffixes are 'ung', 'ling', 'heit', 'haft', 'chen', 'lich',
'ing', 'sal', 'sam'
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The following chart helps us identify which vowels are identified as
"closed" and "open". The letters directly under the vowels are possible
spellings for the phonetic symbols.
Closed Open
[i] [e] [e2] [o] [y] [] [u] [I] [] [Y] [] [] []
______________________________________________ ___________________________
ie e o u i o u
i ee oo h h uh e
ih eh oh y y
1) When doubled
2) When final and stressed (rare)
3) When followed by 'h'
4) When followed by one and only one consonant in the root element
5) When on the Mond/Erde/"to greet the sweet feet" list.
6) When final in a monosyllabic word 'du', 'je',
7) When 'u' or '' is followed by 'ch', 'ch' counts as one consonant.
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[zux bux by]
suche Buch Bcher
Symbols in German
- the "umlaut" or "for sound"
- the "eszett" or "scharfes-s" - this will always be transcribed [s:s].
Using [] in the IPA will mean to use a voiced bilabial fricative, so don't
ever write it in your IPA transcriptions unless you are transcribing
Spanish and other languages that might contain this phoneme. The , in
common contemporary usage, generally indicates a closed vowel
preceding it. However that is not the case in older German. It is used
more in 18th -19th c. German in writing, and it also tends to be more
prevalent in poetry than in other genres.
Mond - moon
Montag - Monday
Obst - Fruit
Trost, trster, etc - comfort, comforted
gross - large
hoch - high (exc. Hochzeit- wedding)
Scho - lap (scho meaning "shoot" is open, i.e. "Die Forelle")
Erde - earth
erst - first
Erz - metal
Schwert - sword
Beschwerde - complaint/cares
Herd - hearth
Pferd - horse
stets - always
Wert - worth
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werden - to become
Locken wenn
"tresses" "when"
6 [I]
bin "am'
bis - "until"
im - "in the"
in - "in the"
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hin - "forward/there"
mit - "with
5 []
darum/drum/d'rum - "around"
um -"around"
un - "un" (negative prefix)
warum - "why"
zum - "towards"
4 []
es - "is"/"it"
des - genitive article
weg - (when a verb, not the noun "Weg" meaning "path) weggehen,
wegarbeiten, but NOT 'bewegen'
wes - genitive form of "wer" meaning "whose" (rare)
3 []
ob - "whether"
vom - "of the/from the"
von - "of the/from the"
Foreign-origin/unusual words
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Chart of 'e's
Halbversunkenen
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Diphtongs
[:]
'au' - Maus, Haus, Taubenpost traurig
"mouse" "house" "pigeon-post" "sad"
[:I]
'ai' or 'ei' Mein Hain seit Feierabend
"mine" "grove" "since" "knock off work"
[:Y]
'u, or 'eu' Feuer trumen teuer Brutigam
"fire" "to dream" "expensive" "groom"
Glides
Jahr jeder
"year" "every/each
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German consonants
Glottals - All words in German that begin with a vowel have a [] before
them. All roots that begin with a vowel should also have a glottal.
'b'=[b] when
- not final
-not final in a root and followed by a consonant
-part of a consonant cluster (a group of two or more consonants in
which 'b' is poststress)
ck = [k:k]
'g' = [g]
Final -'ig'
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Ewiger mssig Zrtlichkeit
l= [l]
m=[m]
n=[n]
ng = []
nk = [k]
p=[p]
qu = [kv]
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't', and 'th'=[t] 'dt' = [t:t]
v= [f]
w= [v]
When 'b', 'd', 'g', and 's' are final in a word, they become their unvoiced
cognates [p], [t], [k], and [s].
When 'b','d','g', and 's' are final in root and followed by a consonant, they
become unvoiced.
When 'b','d', 'g', and 's' are final in root and followed by a vowel, they do
NOT become unvoiced.
Exceptions - When 'b', 'd', 'g', and 's' are part of contractions or inflected
forms
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Take a word like Vogel..When it is combined to make the diminutive
with "lein" it becomes Vglein (little bird)..The 'g' REMAINS voiced
even though it ends a root and the next letter is a consonant. However,
the 'e' has been elided from the middle of the word, therefore the 'g' is
not, in its purest form, followed by a consonant.
Other words like 'edle', 'wandle', 'seidle', and 'goldnes' are missing a
vowel. Therefore not only does the 'd' stay voiced in each of these cases,
the 'e' in 'edle' should be closed, as the original form is 'edele'. A word
like 'wandeln' is a verb that can mean "to change", "to turn into" or "to
stroll". In a piece such as "Er, der Herrlichste von allen" from
Frauenliebe und Leben, the young lady sings "Wandle, wandle seinen
Bahnen" ("Strolling, strolling (on your) paths"). The 'd' remains [d], so
the word is transcribed as [vndl]. As stated by the Odom, it takes
some understanding of the German language to be able to catch all of
these forms. So this is the list I require my students to memorize (or at
least be aware of):
h= [h] when:
66
hren hilft
s= [z] when:
Otherwise, s=[s]
Bremsen
"horseflies"
tsch = [t]
67
pltschert mrrisches
"splashing/pattering" "grumpy"
However, when 's' is part of the root, the solution for 'chs' = [ks]
z = [ts]
R's
R's in German are tricky. Generally speaking 'r's in German are all []
(voiced uvular fricative). But of course we don't use this symbol in
singing. But the solution is not as straightforward as French. R's in
German can be solved four ways:
1) []
2) []
3) []
4) [r]
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mir dir er der ihr wir wer fr vor
"me" "you" "he" "the" "her"/"you" "we" "who" "for" "before"
One can also look at the pattern of closed (or pre-stress) vowels
followed by 'r' and apply this to other words. The most important idea
is that your choices are vocally viable and the word is still
comprehensible.
To flip or roll?
Generally speaking, using the tap/flap is the best solution for 'r' when it
begins a word or root, or when it is in the middle of a word. Some words
will lend themselves to a roll for purposes of meaning or onomatopoeia.
The problem with a roll is that it can cause the German to sound
Italianate, so be careful not to roll any 'r' to the extent that one might in
Italian. This is something to be undertaken by any student with the
careful monitoring of teachers and coaches.
That being said, sometimes a vocalic-r will be easier or more
difficult to execute than a tap/flap, so considerations like tessitura and
length of vowel preceding/following as well as the general
emotional/dramatic context of a phrase/piece will need to be folded
into the conversation. Generally I find that most singers have a fairly
good instinct for the correct solution.
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