Composing for voice : a guide for composers, singers, and teachers / Paul Barker.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Barker, Paul, 1956-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Popular music--Writing and publishing.

Popular music.

Physical Description:

xiv, 205 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2004.

Summary:

Although there have been many texts on the art of singing, and others on composition, there are none on the unique challenges of composing for the voice. This book, written by a well-known contemporary composer and pedagogue, fills that gap by offering a comprehensive survey of issues surrounding both the singer and the composer. The book primarily focuses on classical vocal music, but also draws on examples from jazz. Broadway/theatrical, operatic, and popular music. From understanding the mechanics of the voice through techniques to wed text to music, this book will aid both composers and vocalists to better understand each other's craft.

Contents:

1 The Voice Today: An Evaluation 1

Vocal versus Non-Vocal 1

The View Back 7

2 How the Voice Works: A Composer's Perspective 15

Vocal Categories 19

Legato and Leaps 21

Air and Breath 26

Dynamics 29

Flexibility and Stamina 32

Composing Between the Notes 35

Extended Voice Techniques 40

3 Voice/Text/Music 43

Text and Music 43

Text and Voice 48

The Nature of Language 53

The Nature of the Singing Voice 55

Vowels 56

Diphthongs 58

Consonants 59

Sibilants 60

Vibrato 61

Text Effect 63

Nudity and Performance 63

Text Underlay in Scores 65

Singing and Speaking 68

4 The Singer and the Actor 75

Differences Between Singers and Actors 75

Similarities Between Singers and Actors 81

The Synthesis of Music, Dance, and Drama 82

5 Considerations of Style 85

The Last Romantic Artist 85

A Shopping List 90

Some Composers' Solutions 94

6 Singers on Composers 141

Singers' Biographies 141

7 Conclusions and a Way Forward 153

The Ultimate Challenge of the Voice 153

How Our Audience Hears 158

Male and Female Voices: Reason versus Emotion 160

Going for a Song 164

Toward a Compositional Theory 169

8 Educational Activities 177

Street Songs 180

Composing on One Note 181

Songs without Words 181

Words without Songs 182

Identical Texts 182

Time Limits 184

One Breath 184

Writing a Song for Children to Hear 184

Improvisation 185

Further Projects 186

Appendix 1 Vocal Nomenclature 191

Soprano 191

Mezzo-Soprano 192

Alto 192

Male Alto/Countertenor 192

Tenor 192

Baritone 193

Bass 193

Appendix 2 An Application of the International Phonetic Alphabet 195.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0415941873

0415941865

OCLC:

52877375