The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements
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The Singer’s Guide to German Diction Supplements Valentin Lanzrein and Richard Cross The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements Contents LYRIC DICTION IN MUSICAL CONTEXT Vowels in Singing The Glottal Separation in Singing Diphthongs in Singing Schwa and Vocalic-R in Singing Word Stress in Singing Consonants in Singing Initial Consonant Anticipation Final Consonant Suspension Consonant Clusters Consonant Assimilation: Merges and Implosions Anticipation of Sustainable Consonants for Expressiveness SUPPLEMENTAL EXERCISES AND WORKSHEETS Musical Exercises Musical Exercises for [iː], [i], [i̯], and [ɪ] Musical Exercises for [eː], [ɛː], [ɛ], and [ə] Musical Exercises for [ɑː] and [a] Musical Exercises for [oː] and [ɔ] Musical Exercises for [uː] and [ʊ] Musical Exercises for [øː] and [œ] Musical Exercises for [yː] and [ʏ] Musical Exercises for [a͡e], [ɑ͡o], and [ɔ͡ø] Musical Exercises for [f] and [v] Musical Exercises for [s] and [z] Musical Exercises for [ʃ] and [ʒ] Musical Exercises for [ʝ], [ç], and [x] Musical Exercises for [h] and [ǀ] Musical Exercises for [p] and [b] Musical Exercises for [t] and [d] Musical Exercises for [k] and [ɡ] Musical Exercises for [m], [n], and [ŋ] Musical Exercises for [l] Musical Exercises for [r], [ɾ], and [ɐ] Musical Exercises for [p͡s], [p͡f], [ts],͡ [tʃ͡ ], [k͡s], and [k͡v] Worksheets Worksheet 2.5: Word Structure Worksheet 2.6: Word Stress Worksheet 4.1: [iː], [i], [i̯], and [ɪ] Worksheet 4.2: [eː], [e], [ɛː], [ɛ], and [ə] Worksheet 4.3: [ɑː] and [a] The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements Worksheet 5.1: [oː], [o], and [ɔ] Worksheet 5.2: [uː], [u], and [ʊ] Worksheet 6.1: [øː] and [œ] Worksheet 6.2: [yː], [y], and [ʏ] Worksheet 7.1: [a͡e], [ɑ͡o], and [ɔ͡ø] Worksheet 9.1: [f] and [v] Worksheet 9.3: [s], [z], [ʃ], and [ʒ] Worksheet 9.4: [ʝ], [ç], and [x] Worksheet 9.6: [h] and [ǀ] Worksheet 10.3: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], and [ɡ] Worksheet 11.3: [m], [n], and [ŋ] Worksheet 12.2: [l], [r], [ɾ], and [ɐ] Worksheet 13.1: [p͡s], [p͡f], [ts],͡ [tʃ͡ ], [k͡s], and [k͡v] Worksheet: Review Section II. Vowels Quiz: Section II. Vowels Quiz: Vowel Length Exceptions The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements LYRIC DICTION IN MUSICAL CONTEXT The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements Vowels in Singing This and the next chapters build on the diction rules that we introduced earlier in this book and specifically describe the challenges that singers face when language is united with a vocal line. We are also aware of the limitations of musical notation and the International Phonetic Alphabet in supporting a creative process, which can only be realized by the imagination of the artist. The purpose of diction study is, ultimately, to convey the meaning of the text to the ear of the listener. This means that often slight adjustments to both pronunciation and enunciation must be made. This in no way compromises the rules of diction but uses them to the desired end. The suggestions in this section are intended to help the singer sound beautiful, natural, and correct. A too detailed analysis of all the technicalities of diction might easily get in the way of what is the most noticeable characteristic of a native speaker: the natural and unhindered communication of the meaning of the text. It is the intention of the authors to provide the reader with some technical suggestions that will inspire clear communication enabled by unrestricted diction, resulting in natural and expressive performance. The Glottal Separation in Singing The basic rules for the use of the glottal separation have been discussed in Chapters 3 and 9. Here we will refine these rules and apply them to singing. The glottal separation is a matter of clear speech. In singing, the need for its application and its intensity is influenced by the musical style, the tempo, the musical setting, and the importance of the word within the phrase. In most cases a light glottal separation will be sufficient. On rare occasions a slightly stronger separation might be needed for clarity, but never a hard glottal attack. In other places, however, the glottal separation may be minimized for the sake of a better legato flow, provided that the text is still understandable. No absolute rules can be given for the application of the glottal separation in singing beyond the basic pronunciation rules. Instead, we will give possible solutions in the following examples, which may serve as aids in similar situations. In German it is easy to construct a nonsense compound word by ignoring the glottal separation. In other cases such a compound word can actually sound like an existing word. Therefore a glottal separation must be used whenever a misunderstanding might occur from the lack of a clear separation. If, in the following example from Wolf’s Fußreise, there were no separation between the words und and Erhalter, one would understand Unterhalter, which means “entertainer” instead of “and protector.” If, on the other hand, the glottal separation before und were to be missing as well, the meaning becomes even further distorted to Runterhalter, which is a nonsense word and means, if anything, “underkeeper.” Music Ex. 17.1.1: Hugo Wolf, Fußreise The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements In the next example from Schubert’s Die Forelle, the absence of a clear separation of the words does not create a compound word, but the text becomes totally unintelligible due to the fast succession of the three short words beginning with a vowel. Music Ex. 17.1.2: Franz Schubert, Die Forelle Usually the important words receive a stronger glottal separation than less important words in the phrase. Naturally composers also set important words on the musically stressed beats. In Schumann’s Widmung (Music Ex. 17.1.3), the final word Ich is the object of the sentence. The poet calls the loved one his good spirit and his better self. In Mozart’s An Chloe (Music Ex. 17.1.4) the glottal separation on the words ich and in can both be minimized. But the word Arm is the object of the phrase, and therefore it requires a full glottal separation. In Strauss’s Morgen (Music Ex. 17.1.5), the word Augen is also the object of the phrase and requires a full glottal separation. The words uns and in must have clear minimized glottal separations to avoid sounding the word Unsinn, which means “nonsense.” In Strauss’s Allerseelen (Music Ex. 17.1.6), the word Astern is the object of the sentence and is powerful symbolically and therefore needs a clear glottal separation. Music Ex. 17.1.3: Robert Schumann, Widmung Music Ex. 17.1.4: W. A. Mozart, An Chloe The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements Music Ex. 17.1.5: Richard Strauss, Morgen Music Ex. 17.1.6: Richard Strauss, Allerseelen Separable prefixes are also stressed and important within the phrase. Therefore they too are usually set on the strong beat of the measure and require clear glottal separations. In the example from Schubert’s Der Tod und das Mädchen (Music Ex. 17.1.7), the prefix an belongs to rühren and is a conjugation form of the verb anrühren (to touch). In Brahms’s Von ewiger Liebe (Music Ex. 17.1.8), um is the separable prefix of umschmieden (to refashion) and umwandeln (transform); in Beethoven’s Aus Goethes Faust (Music Ex. 17.1.9), an is the prefix of anmessen (to measure); and in Brahms’s Abenddämmerung (Music Ex. 17.1.10) aus is the prefix of ausbreiten (to spread). Music Ex. 17.1.7: Franz Schubert, Der Tod und das Mädchen The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements Music Ex. 17.1.8: Johannes Brahms, Von ewiger Liebe Music Ex. 17.1.9: Ludwig van Beethoven, Aus Goethes Faust Music Ex. 17.1.10: Johannes Brahms, Abenddämmerung The glottal stop may be minimized in some occasions when a less important, unstressed word beginning with a vowel is preceded by a word ending on r. In the following three examples a light r tongue tap followed by the lightest possible glottal separation will be sufficient and also allow a smooth connection to the following sound. Please note that the latitude offered does not extend to omitting the glottal separation. Music Ex. 17.1.11: Robert Schumann, Freisinn The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements Music Ex. 17.1.12: Robert Schumann, Die Stille Music Ex. 17.1.13: Robert Schumann, In der Fremde In the next three examples the minimized glottal separation before important words is still permissible without any loss of intelligibility. In Schumann’s Intermezzo (Music Ex. 17.1.14), the leap up naturally supports the separation of eilig from the preceding word ending on r. In Wolf’s Der Gärtner (Music Ex. 17.1.15), the main stress of the phrase goes on tausend, and a strong glottal separation on eine would cause too many accents and interrupt the flow of the language. Therefore the minimized glottal separation is advisable. However, in the repeat of the phrase the singer might choose a stronger separation on the word eine for greater emphasis. The word alle should receive a strong glottal separation every time. In Wolf’s Fußreise (Music Ex. 17.1.16), a strong glottal stop would put too much emphasis on ersten when the main stress is on Morgensonne. It is important, however, that the single tongue tap r is neither emphasized nor pulled into the following vowel. Music Ex. 17.1.14: Robert Schumann, Intermezzo The Singer's Guide to German Diction: Supplements Music Ex.