French Diction for Singers

AT THE END OF THIS SYLLABUS, FIND A CHECKLIST FOR COUNTING YOUR POINTS.

***French Diction for Singers***

MUS 4524 5524  1 hour credit

King office M/MC 322  kingt@apsu.edu221-7648  cell 931-220-2853  www.drthomasking.com FACEBOOK GROUP =King français printemps 2013.  Thomas King facebook has suggestions throughout the course.  If you are on Facebook, check it out now and contact me to show you read it.  If you are NOT on Facebook, please join now. It is an ideal way to communicate. There will be a class discussion group on Facebook. Students are REQUIRED to check e mail, web site, face book OFTEN for communication, details, assignments, etc.

Required Text:  Diction for Singers Joan Wall

Suggested:   electronic collection of materials

Strongly suggested:   French dictionary with IPA pronunciation guide

FYI:  French Dictionary in the library  PC 2640 in the reference section.

UNDERGRADUATE OBJECTIVES:

PRONOUNCE THE LANGUAGE CORRECTLY, WHILE SPEAKING AND WHILE SINGING.

PERFORM (SINGING AND RECITING) SEVERAL TIMES TO DEMONSTRATE SKILLS ACQUIRED IN THE LANGUAGE.

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF WRITTEN AND ORAL QUIZZES THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER TO INSURE STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND MASTERY OF THE MATERIAL.

COLLECT FRENCH REPERTOIRE TO PERFORM.

GRADUATE OBJECTIVES:  (see undergraduate above, plus those below)

Students will collect materials to teach diction courses for singers.

Students will collect techniques for teaching pronunciation (in any language).

GRADES:

Grades will be based on attendance, willingness to work, class work, homework, and the accumulation in a notebook (or on disk) of assignments turned in ON TIME.  Anyone missing more than three classes will receive a lower grade.  Anyone missing more than six classes should consider dropping the course.

Students must read the ‘Code of Student Conduct’ in the new Student Handbook for an understanding of what will be expected of them within the academic setting. NO FOOD, DRINK, MINORS IN CLASS.  PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES & BEEPERS. Arrive on time, ready to work. Any student who has a condition that may affect his/her academic performance in this class is encouraged to make an appointment to discuss this matter, and/or contact Disability Services, located in Clement 131, VOX 221-6230  VOX  tty  221-6278

The numbers in brackets [ ]  =  points for the semester. 90_100 = A,  80_89 = B, 70_79 = C,  lower?   Solid work = full points     Less than solid work = fewer points

α  α ə õ è é ç œε̃ ε ø ê əô â ç ä ö ü ù ŋ œ ø  Z S        α

CALENDAR       TRACK 1

WEEK 1            Book and corrections, Get TK Booklet, explain Track 1, Track 2

Track 1 = new diction students, attend all classes, Track 2 = French and/or Diction experience

Anyone in Track 2 may come to class more often AND may switch to Track 1 at any time.

MISSING CLASS WILL MEAN MISSING POINTS.  ATTEND CLASS REGULARLY.

Attend any voice recitals to listen for diction, and especially French Diction. Gillian Frank, Richard Stewart both have recitals SOON

WEEK 1            Book, correct it, see pp. 3,4   [3]   hand recorder or phone  [2]

Write out full IPA chart, 17 vowels (glides, nasals) and 17 French word examples [6]

Common verb list page 2000_O, study it and record it for [3] (you need your phone or hand recorder or computer)

WEEK 2            Watch Blanche Neige GR 550 B56, 23 minutes and/or Carmen

M1500 B625 c383, 151 min. and/or Shirley Verrett Carmen & Samson excerpts M1497 V84, 60 minutes – all found on YouTube.

Listen to one of my recordings in class, speak, pronounce, listen,   [5]  choose Song #1

PLEASE MEET WITH ME INDIVIDUALLY IN WEEK 1 AND/OR WEEK 2     (15 minute session) [6]

This private session evaluates what you need and/or want from this class. Missing this session means you are NOT serious about the course. NO HOMEWORK FIRST 3 WEEKS. WORK WILL BE COMPLETED IN CLASS. You may do extra work. Get ahead. Listen to recordings. Watch videos. Meet with me more often.

WEEK 3              Write Song #1 in class (text, IPA, translation)

WEEK 4 Listen to 30 minutes of a Video [or YouTube] (Daughter of Regiment, Dialogue of Carmelites, Faust, other?) OR ALL of Carmen aria MET video    THREE times.   Write 10 French words you heard and be prepared to pronounce them in class. Bring in Video words  [3]    QUIZ #1 [3]    Finish  Song #1   Listen to Dalila aria MARILYN HORNE – mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix  (YouTube). Begin IPA for the aria.

WEEK 5  Finish IPA for Dalila, Turn in Recording  [5]  Present Song #1  [10]

Presenting a Song means to have a corrected copy of the French words, the IPA, and the translation.  Be ready to sing some of the song and have 4 song sheet handouts for the class.

WEEK 5  QUIZ #2  [3]    Present Song #1  Turn in next recording   [5]

WEEK 6 Choose Song #2 & #3. You should have 53 points. You need 100 = A

WEEK 7   Type Song #2 and  #3

WEEK 8   Finish typing Song #2 and #3    Finish IPA and translations

WEEK 9  Listen to Presentations.  Present Song #2    [10]  Remember, be thorough, be prepared.

WEEK 10  Quiz #3  [3]                        Quiz #4  [3]

WEEK 11  Catch up Day            Quiz #5  [3]

WEEK 12  Write the IPA for  Dalila  [2]       80 points by now.

WEEK 13  Write Song #4 Present Song #3  or  #4 [10] Review for Final [5] Final[10

The numbers in brackets [ ]  =  points for the semester.  90_100 = A,  80_89 = B,  70_79 =C,     lower? Solid work = full points     Less than solid work = fewer points

CALENDAR            TRACK 2

Attend any voice recitals to listen for diction, and especially French Diction.

WEEKS 1, 2, 3, 4  Book, TK Booklet and corrections, explain Track 1, Track 2

Track 1 = new diction students, attend all classes

Track 2 = French and/or Diction experience.

Anyone in Track 2 may come to class more often AND may switch to Track 1 at any time.

GET YOUR PHONE  or HAND RECORDER or HAVE COMPUTER POSSIBILITIES TO RECORD.

The entire idea of self motivation and completing the course “on your own” and early means that you MUST hand in assignments on time!  If your assignments are late, you will be moved to Track 1 which meets EVERY Monday and Wednesday EVERY WEEK.   It is your choice! SEVERAL STUDENTS HAVE TRIED TRACK 2. SOME DID WELL, SOME DID LESS WELL.  (If you need reminding of assignments, if you procrastinate, if you have trouble with self motivation, please ask for my help AND/OR follow Track 1 instead!)

Correct the book  pp. 176,177,178,179 new IPA symbols, have your book with you  [3]

Record 202 é (closed e), 212-213 o (closed o), 184-185 mixed vowels, 187-190 nasal vowels  [6]

Record Common verb list  p. 2000_O  [3]

Write IPA chart French only  (17 vowels, glides, nasals and examples)  [6]

Record one of my suggestions  [5]

Record a second suggestion, ask TK [5]

Video or YouTube [3]  Blanche Neige, Carmen, Shirley Verrett

Listen to Dalila aria  MARILYN HORNE- mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix,  and write out the IPA.  [2]

Record Song #1, speaking AND singing [10]

PLEASE MEET WITH ME IN WEEKS 1,2,3  three times   [3]   [3]   [3]  IF YOU MISS THESE MEETINGS, YOU MUST CHANGE TO TRACK 1.  You should have 54 points by now.

WEEKS 4, 5, 6, 7 Full Song Sheet #2 [5],  Full Song Sheet #3 [5],  Full Song Sheet #4 [5]

Meet with me once in WEEK 4, 5, or 6 By WEEK 6  you should have 69 points.

Come to class WEEK 6  Present songs = Sing two of your songs, and analyze them and explain them to the class. Give handouts (4 copies needed) of your song sheets.   [5]   [5]

Come to class WEEK 10 and 11.  Take Quizzes (five of them!!)    [3] each

You may take any quiz a second time if needed. Your points will now equal 94, enough to pass the class with an A and NOT take the final.  IF, by this time, you have not completed at least 90 points, you must come to class regularly and must take the final exam. The final counts 10 points and may (?) be enough to help your grade.

***Graduate Students ( Track 1 or Track 2):  As a group, divide and complete the IPA for all Duparc songs and Fêtes Galantes  I and  II, Chansons de Bilitis of Debussy.  Check accuracy for all Fauré songs already completed. Turn in your part of this work by WEEK 5. Turn in all corrections by WEEK 9

Each one review the French Diction Book List and make notes about the logic, the accuracy, the ease of explanations in each book. Decide how you personally would teach diction, using any, some or all of these texts.  Make an appointment in WEEK 7 (15 minutes) to speak with TK about your findings

Track 2 To prove you are ready, design an IPA chart for English using at least 12 different vowel sounds. Arrange them in a half circle in a logical manner, bright to dark, closed to open, etc. Give an example rhyming word for each vowel. Hint: For more variations of  “a,e,i,o,and u,”  remember that the letter r after a vowel in English often “colors” the pronunciation of that vowel. Here’s a start

[i]……………………………………………………………………………………..[u]

……………………………………………..[α ]

These three given vowels are the cornerstone for all IPA charts. The symbols are taken from Italian spellings.  ([i] always closed   [α] always open [u] always closed )

αəõèéαçœε̃εøêôâçäöüùŋœ   αəõèéαçœε̃εøêôâçäöüùŋœ    ə ø  Z S                αəõèéαçœε̃εøêôâçäöüùŋœ

αəõèéαçœε̃εøêôâçäöüùŋœ   αəõèéαçœε̃εøêôâçäöüùŋœ    ə ø  Z S                  αəõèéαçœε̃εøêôâçäöüùŋœ

Dalila  Aria  from Samsom and Dalila  Massenet Marilyn Horne

Mon   Coeur s’ouvre  à  ta  voix  comme  s’ouvrent  les  fleurs  Aux   baisers  de l’aurore!

Mais,   ô   mon    bienaimé    pour    mieux    sécher    mes   pleurs,   Que   ta   voix parle

encore!  Dismoi  qu’a   Dalila     tu    reviens     pour     jamais,     Redis   à    ma tendresse

Les    serments   d’autrefois   ces     serments    que    j’aimais!     Ah!     réponds   à ma

tendresse,    Versemoi,      versemoi     l’ivresse!    Réponds     à     ma    tendresse……

FRENCH DICTION BOOK LIST FOR GRADUATE ASSIGNMENT

Title, author, useful pages for pronunciation and clarification of the language, sometimes sample pages to show how pronunciation is explained (or not)

Collins Pocket French Dictionary – Cousin   intro, sample p. 147, sounds of French 514-519, verbs 509-514

Pons French-German German-French Dictionary – Weis/Mattutat  pronunciation guide viii, sample p. 326-327, half way through vii-viii

Cassell’s French-English English-French Dictionary – Baker/Manchon (fifth edition 1951) vi,  x-xxiii (verbs),  sample p. 438-439

Diction for Singers – Wall (all languages) 1-6, French 175-179

Pronouncing Guide to French, German, Italian, Spanish – Jones, Smith, Walls  5-17,  Also see Hip Pockets for French

Larousse’s Dictionary  French-English  English-French – Dubois, Keen, Shuey  xv, half way through iii-ix,  sample p. 152

New Pocket Pronouncing Dictionary of French and English – Mendel  vii-viii,sample p. 186-187

Cassell’s A New French and English Dictionary –  Boïelle/Payen-Payne  (1903)  vii-viii, xii-xix,  sample p. 330

The Singer’s Manual of German and French Diction – Cox  intro 1-6, 52-55, exercises in adjacent vowel sounds 59-60, Bibliography 63

Phonetics and Diction in Singing Italian, French, Spanish, German – Adler  3-11,  48-49 (48-99)

Diction – Moriarty  v (my voice teacher’s comments about diction)  xi-xiii, 5-24, 25-101,  166-173,  American Traps 218-219, Bibliography 254-255, index of sounds 258-263

A Handbook of Diction for Singers – Adams    115-125, Bibliography 173-174,  index of sounds  177-180

THE STORY OF LANGUAGE Mario Pei  The sounds of language 85-94

BELOW FIND A CHECK LIST FOR COUNTING YOUR POINTS THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER.

POINTS FOR FRENCH DICTION

Own Dictionary 3

Own Book & make corrections 4

IPA chart 6

Common verbs 3

In class recording 5

Video words 3

Meet with TK 6

Quiz #1 3

Recording A  5

Song #1 10

Quiz #2 3

Recording B 5  total 56

Song #2 10

Quiz #3 3

Quiz #4 3

Quiz #5 3

IPA project 2  total 77

Song #3 10

Review 5

Final exam 10

Grand total 102

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