English and German Diction for Singers: A Comparative Approach
This book shows Johnston's extensive background in lyric or singing diction and also in the German language. . . . This book can be used for various courses of study for singers and is also a good reference work to possess for any singer or coach as a valuable tool for preparing a vocal performance. In addition it can be used by ESL students and also for undergraduate graduate studies either in separate English and German diction courses or as a combined course.(American Music Teacher)The analogy is an excellent example of the author's skill in enlivening the study of diction. Voice teachers and coaches will find this volume a useful addition to their libraries; those diction courses that combine English and German will find in this a tailor-made text.(Journal of Singing)English and German Diction for Singers: A Comparative Approachis written as a text for undergraduate- and graduate- level voice students and vocal coaches....English and German Diction for Singers: A Comparative Approachis a musical, linguistic, and physical explanation of vocal production in English and German for singers. Each sound is prefaced with a brief description, three to five words or short phrases to isolate the sound, phonetic spelling using IPA, and for German, the English translation of the word(s). Musical excerpts of German art songs are presented with IPA printed below the text. The explanation of the position of the mouth, tongue, and lips for each vowel and consonant is extremely detailed. This information is beneficial to both voice teachers and choral conductors desiring to develop a choral unified sound. This textbook, paired with the study of conversational German, is a useful tool for music educators and vocal performers.(Music Educators Journal (MENC))