A handbook of diction for singers : Italian, German, French / David Adams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Adams, David, 1950- author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Singing--Diction.

Singing.

Italian language--Pronunciation.

Italian language.

German language--Pronunciation.

German language.

French language--Pronunciation.

French language.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (345 pages)

Edition:

Third edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2022]

Summary:

Featuring updates, expansions, and a new chapter on phonetic symbols and unique sounds in Italian, German, and French, this third edition is a complete guide to achieving professional levels of diction in the three major languages of the classical vocal repertory.

Contents:

Cover

A Handbook of Diction for Singers

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Preface to the 3rd Edition

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Individual Sounds

The International Phonetic Alphabet

Comments about a Few IPA Symbols

Vowel Length

The Role of the Tongue in Determining Vowel Sounds

The Seven Vowel Sounds of Italian: /​i/​ /​e/​ /​ɛ/​ /​a/​ /​ɔ/​ /​o/​ /​u/​

Additional Vowel Sounds for German: /​ɪ/​ and /​ʊ/​

The Mixed Vowels of German and French: /​y/​ /​ʏ/​ /​ø/​ /​œ/​

Additional Vowel Sounds for French: /​ɑ/​ /​ɑ̃/​ /​ɛ̃/​ /​õ/​ /​œ̃/​

Glides /​ Semiconsonants /​ Semivowels: /​j/​ /​ʝ/​ /​w/​ /​ɥ/​

Diphthongs: A Brief Discussion

Consonant Sounds

Paired Consonant Sounds: /​b/​ /​p/​ /​d/​ /​t/​ /​ɡ/​ /​k/​ /​v/​ /​f/​ /​z/​ /​s/​

Unpaired Consonant Sounds: /​l/​ /​m/​ /​n/​ /​r/​

The Sounds of r

A Special Pair: /​h/​ and /​ʔ/​

More Consonant Sounds: /​ʒ/​ /​ʃ/​ /​ʎ/​ /​ɲ/​ /​ŋ/​ /​ç/​ /​x/​

The Affricate Sounds: /​d͡ʒ/​ /​t͡ʃ/​ /​d͡z/​ /​t͡s/​

Chapter 2 Italian Diction

International Phonetic Alphabet Symbols for Italian

Italian Vowel Letters: Vowels and Glides

Italian Diacritical Marks

Italian Syllabification

Italian Word Stress

Vowel Length in Italian

Apocopation

Italian Diphthongs and Triphthongs

Phrasal Diphthongs and Triphthongs

Italian Consonants

Consonant Combinations and Their Sounds

Single and Double Consonants in Italian

Characteristics of Double Consonants

More about Vowels

Ambiguous Spellings: Is It a Vowel or a Glide? /​i͜ːo/​ /​i͜ːa/​ vs. /​jo/​ /​ja/​

Phrasal Doubling in Italian

Articulating Double Consonants in Singing

Singing Consonant Clusters

Musical Settings of Italian Diphthongs

Italian Diphthongs: Vowel Distribution in Singing

Musical Settings of Italian Triphthongs.

Vowel Distribution in Singing Phrasal Diphthongs

Patterns of Phrasal Triphthongs in Italian

Italian Text Underlay in Scores

Other Possible Assimilations of n

Resources for Italian

Sample Texts

Appendix: Guidelines for Determining Open and Close e and o in the Stressed Syllable

Chapter 3 German Diction

International Phonetic Alphabet Symbols for German

The Umlaut

Eszett

A Note on German r Sounds

Word Origin: Germanic and Non-​Germanic

German Vowel Sounds and Vowel Length

Word Stem, Word Stress, Vowel Length

Specific Vowel Sounds in German

German Mixed Vowels

German Diphthongs and Adjacent Vowels

The Glides /​ʝ/​ and /​j/​

German Consonant Sounds

Other Consonant Combinations

Double Consonants in German

More about German Vowels-​Exceptions and Irregularities

More about Syllabic Stress and Vowel Length

More about German Word Structure

Summary of German Suffixes

German Verb Endings

Changing Vowels in Verbs

Summary of Monosyllabic (and Some Polysyllabic) Words

Words of Non-​Germanic Origin

Glottal Separation in German

Glottal Separation versus Legato Connection in Singing German

Phrasal Consonant Clusters in German

Possible Assimilation of Consonant Sounds in German

Resources for German

Sample Texts:

Chapter 4 French Diction

International Phonetic Alphabet Symbols for French

French Diacritical Marks

Terminology Related to the Legato Flow of French

A Note about the Syllabification of French Words

Word Stress in French

Vowel Length in French

French Vowel Sounds and How They Are Spelled

Mixed Vowels in French

Fine Points Concerning /​œ/​ and /​ø/​

Vocalic Harmonization and e moyen /​ eu moyen

Nasal Vowels

Incorrect Sounding of n and m in Nasal Vowels

Glides in French

French Consonants.

Connecting Sounds in French: Enchaînement, Elision, Liaison 279 French Syllabification

Musical Settings of Mute e

Tied Note Notation with Mute e

Musical Settings of Glides

Resources for French

Bibliography

Index of Sounds by Spelling

General Index.

Notes:

This edition also issued in print: 2022.

Previous edition: 2008.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on October 10, 2022).

ISBN:

0-19-763954-2

0-19-763952-6