Singing in the original language in opera-choral performance: from practical experience
Authors: Chumak Olena 
Published: September 2023

Statement of the problem. In modern vocal and choral art, singing in the original language is an international performance practice that requires compliance with certain requirements. In this regard, singers face the peculiarities of the phonetic systems of different languages, articulation and diction difficulties, which leads to errors in pronunciation, and the transfer of singing skills in the native language to singing in a foreign language turns into an accent, incorrect pronunciation of a foreign text, which can even lead to semantic distortions This circumstance becomes particularly relevant and of very important practical importance, for example, in foreign tours of opera companies and choral groups. In Ukrainian musicology, there are many research works on the problems of opera and choral art, however, the problems of performing works with a foreign language text are not covered enough, although some issues of phonetics related to vocal performance have been considered (Madysheva, 2002; Borovenska, 2022; Ponomariova, 2015). The relevance of the proposed topic is determined by the lack of research specifically devoted to the performance of opera parts with foreign text by a choir. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the study. The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of phonosemantics of language as a means of realizing the artistic idea of a musical piece, the integrity of its national-mental image, and to highlight the main stages of work on a foreign language text in an opera choir. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time the relationship between the complex of vocal and choral performance tools and the intonation and phonetic features of the language of the original opera performance was examined; the stages of work on a foreign language text in an opera and choral performance are presented from a new angle, namely, with regard to the correct pronunciation of the text; details of the work on a foreign language text with an opera chorus are presented taking into account one’s own practical experience. In the course of the research, with the help of comparative and intonation-phonetic analysis, certain distinguishing features in the phonetics of different languages were revealed. Empirical, performance-interpretive, structural-functional, systemic research methods made it possible to determine the basic stages and directions of the choirmaster’s work with the opera choir when performing the work in the original language. Research results and conclusion. The systematization of work experience, in particular one’s own, on choral parts with foreign-language text in operas, made it possible to identify its main forms and directions, distributed in stages, namely: 1) consultations of a linguist teacher with the practical instructions and fixation of latter; 2) preparation of a choral score for working with a foreign text (parallel signature of the text using the “phonetic alphabet”, which is developed by a linguist specialist for the graphic representation of sounds that do not have counterparts in the native alphabet); 3) studying the text with choir artists outside of the music; 4) combination of music and text; 5) finally, independent studying of the features of a certain language, which occurs outside the rehearsal process at all stages of working with the choir. Consultations, practice of language skills, rehearsals are held both with groups of the choir and the choir as a whole, and individually (if necessary). In conclusion, the thought is emphasized that a careful attitude to the foreign language text for the sake of its meaningful intonation, high-quality articulation and clear diction according to the laws of orthoepy is an important task of both the artist of choir and the choirmaster, who, with the help of special techniques, directs the work of the choir to achieve the best artistic result.