IPA, Translation, and other Vocal Resources: General Resources

he International Phonetic Alphabet is the lingua franca of vocal pedagogy. Not only does it help you teach diction, but also vocal pedagogy, especially advanced pedagogy. The IPA serves singers well because in addition to marking single phonemes and allophones with a single symbol—giving teachers and students a common reference for distinctions in sound—it marks a system of coordinating the articulators.

Authentic pronunciation of 413 Italian, German and French lyrics from “The Singer’s Repertoire” in International Phonetic Alphabet transcription.

A Handbook of Diction for Singers is a complete guide to achieving professional levels of diction in Italian, German, and French, the three major languages of the classical vocal repertory. Written for English-speaking singers and offering thorough, consistent explanations, it is an ideal tool for students and an invaluable reference for voice teachers, vocal coaches, and conductors. The book combines traditional approaches proven successful in the teaching of diction with important new material not readily available elsewhere, presenting the sounds ofeach language in logical order, along with essential information on matters such as diacritical marks, syllabification, word stress, and effective use of the variety of foreign-language dictionaries. Presented in an attractively concise format, the book goes into greater detail thancomparable texts, providing specific information to clarify concepts typically difficult for English-speaking singers. Particular emphasis is placed on the characteristics of vowel length, the sequencing of sounds between words, as well as the differences between spoken and sung sounds in all three languages.

A comprehensive singers' guide to the pronunciation of Italian, French, Ecclesiastical Latin and German, in an approach developed for diction classes at the New England Conservatory of Music. A thorough and scholarly treatment in a practical, easily used format.

Pronunciation guides are provided for Italian, French and German languages through the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet, along with 81 exercises for singing them.

The first historical overview of vocal performance practice and style ever published, Singing In Style provides an introduction to how such issues as ornamentation, vibrato, rubato, portamento, articulation, tempo, language, and accompaniment with period instruments have been handled since the seventeenth century. Each chapter presents a historical period and gives background information on the singers and composers, the vocal repertoire, and the stylistic conventions of that time. Specific repertoire examples are discussed as well, to show how to use the music itself as a context for making stylistic choices