What Is “Lyric Diction”

The Russian Word in Song: Cultural and Linguistic Issues of Classical Singing in the Russian Language Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Kathleen Manukyan, M.A. Graduate Program in Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures The Ohio State University 2011 Dissertation Committee: Irene Delic, Advisor Helena Goscilo Andrea Sims Copyright by Kathleen Manukyan 2011 Abstract This is an interdisciplinary dissertation that addresses an array of questions relating to Russian opera and, in particular, the Russian language as it is sung in ―classical‖ or, to use the Russian term, ―academic‖ music (art song and opera). The first half of the dissertation examines several matters of cultural and literary interest, including: the first major programming of Russian operatic music in the West during Sergei Diaghilev‘s Saisons Russes; the adaptation of Russian literature to opera; the notion of a Russian ―national‖ vocal timbre; and the current culture of vocal training, professional opera singing, and opera production in Russia. Having examined some historical, textual, and cultural contexts surrounding the art of singing as practiced in Russia, the second half of the dissertation studies Russian lyric diction – that is, how the language is pronounced for communication and expression during performance of the vocal repertoire. After establishing and contextualizing the precise definition of ―lyric diction,‖ the dissertation investigates ways that the pronunciation of Russian changes from its speech norms in the lyric diction. The centerpiece of the study is an analysis of the vowel reduction patterns of sung Russian. The final portion of the dissertation discusses consonants in the lyric diction, suggesting strategies to assist the Anglophone vocalist in singing intelligibly and expressively in Russian. ii In keeping with its interdisciplinary nature, the research for this dissertation encompasses a variety of methods, including literary analysis, in-country ethnographic field research, acoustical analysis by computer, and – perhaps most fruitfully – much listening and observing of recordings of Russian opera and song performance in consultation with native speaker informants. The results of this research should be of interest to scholars of Russian culture and music and to vocalists, vocal coaches, and voice teachers who are involved or wish to be involved in the performance and presentation of Russian vocal literature. The discoveries about Russian diction help to correct frequent misunderstandings and demystify the subject. They should prove useful for the future development of much needed manuals or other instructional materials on Russian lyric diction. The results may also be of interest to linguistic studies on topics in phonetics, inasmuch as classical singing can be considered a form of maximally emphatic, formal, or stylized speech. Finally, the sections on cultural and literary aspects of Russian opera contribute a new point of view to the omnipresent discussion of Russian musical self-identity versus Western perceptions of Russian music. iii Dedication Dedicated to my husband and best friend, Karen Manukyan iv Acknowledgements First and foremost, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my advisor, Irene Delic, for her tireless encouragement and advice during the process of researching and writing my dissertation and throughout my graduate career. She is a great scholar and generous person. The many hours of discussion we have shared over the past years have been one of the most enriching and memorable experiences of my time at Ohio State. This work would have been impossible without her. I would like to express warm appreciation to the other members of my dissertation committee, Helena Goscilo and Andrea Sims, for sharing their perspectives and expertise. Dr. Sims assisted me with formulating the central questions explored and methods employed in the dissertation. Dr. Goscilo also served on my candidacy exam committee, suggesting texts and approaches at that time which were of great use in the dissertation as well. I would also like to thank two other exceptional scholars who served on my exam committee, Angela Brintlinger and Margarita Mazo. Dr. Brintlinger has been an immeasurably positive influence on me during the past five years. Both of my first two publications originated through coursework with her. I thank her especially for repeatedly urging me to follow through on my ideas. She is responsible for their appearance in print. Dr. Mazo is an inspiration to me for her ingenious scholarship and shared passion for Russian music. It was an honor to travel with her to Russia during the first year of my graduate career. v I feel gratitude for all the professors, colleagues and friends at the Slavic department who have made my experience as a graduate student so positive, both intellectually and personally, especially: Dr. Charles Gribble, Dr. Daniel Collins, Ceilidh Orr, Anastasia Kostetskaya, Lauren Ressue, Yuliia Aloshycheva, and Doctor Susan Vdovichenko. I thank my wonderful friends and colleagues, Marcela Michalkova and Martin Michalek, for their friendship over the past couple years and for their hospitality during my trips into Columbus over this last year. I also thank my dear friends Margaret and Onnig Tchobanian for opening up their home to me on so many occasions over the years. I received research grants for this project from the Ohio State College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures. These funds afforded me the opportunity to travel to Russia for field research, which greatly enriched the dissertation. The field research was conducted under The Ohio State University IRB protocol 2010E0594. This research would also have been impossible without the assistance of several individuals who helped to organize my trips and recruit research participants: Tatiana Schultz and Eleonora Manukyan in Odessa; Valentina Shcherbinina, Nikolai Ovchinnikov, Vladimir Demidov, and Diana Sviridova in Moscow; and Maya Krivchenia and Zoran Panjak in Saint Petersburg. I am grateful also to those specialists who welcomed me at several institutions: the Odessa State A.V. Nezhdanova Musical Academy, the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Conservatory-College, the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, and the Mariinsky Theater Academy of Young Singers. vi I am grateful for the technical assistance for this project provided by Blake Althen and Paula Bellenoit at Human Factor Productions. I also thank Ed Bak for his advice early on and for providing me with many of the recordings that were used in the research. Finally, I am thankful to my family for their love and support, especially to my parents. My mother, Kathleen Althen, was the first person to introduce me to Russian music through her love for the Russian ballet. My father, William Althen, has always been there to support my academic pursuits, not least of all by many years of meticulous proofreading. My husband, Karen Manukyan, has been a steadfast source of love and encouragement throughout my dissertation project. I thank him for all he does and all he is, and also for being my constant guinea pig for quick pronunciation checks! vii Vita 2004.........................B.A. Slavic Languages and Literatures, Northwestern University 2008……………….M.A. Russian Literature, The Ohio State University 2006-2007…………Distinguished University Fellow, The Ohio State University 2007-2010…………Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literature, The Ohio State University 2010-2011…………Distinguished University Fellow, The Ohio State University Publications Manukyan, Kathleen. ―The Poet and his Readers: Three Lyrics and an Unfinished Story of Alexander Pushkin.‖ Pushkin Review 12-13 (2009-2010): 17-43. Manukyan, Kathleen. ―From Maidens to Mugs: The Motif of the Mirror in the Works of Nikolai Gogol'‖ Canadian Slavonic Papers 51, no. 2-3. (June-September 2009): 267-286. Fields of Study Major Field: Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures viii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. v Vita ................................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii A Note on Transliteration and Transcription .................................................................... xv Chapter 1: Introduction: Russian singing comes West ....................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of this study ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Methods............................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Organization ........................................................................................................ 4 Chapter 2: Russian opera theater:

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