Description
Book SynopsisFrom the Foreword by Renee Fleming: Kathryn LaBouff has developed an approach to singing in the English language which is wonderfully user-friendly, and which has surely saved much wear and tear on my voice. It is a technique that has empowered me with the knowledge and skills to bring a text to life and to be able to negotiate all of the sounds of the language with the least amount of effort. I have found her clever and extremely creative use of substitute consonants or combinations of consonants in creating clear diction utterly delightful because they are surprising and because they work. These techniques have been equally useful when singing in foreign languages. We sopranos are not usually known to have good diction, particularly in our high range. I found that working with Kathryn improved my ability to be understood by an enormous percentile of the audience with much less vocal fatigue than I would have experienced if left to my own devices. I have often told my colleagues enthu
Trade ReviewIn the rehearsal process Kathryn LaBouff is my secret weapon. She has an uncanny ability to take dramatic ideas and unify them with her own technical and diction work for the performer. The result of her collaboration is that the performer can activate and communicate the text like no one else. The diction techniques that she developed are easily accessible in this book, and will help clean up English text delivery in productions around the world. This is a must-have for all directors, coaches, teachers, performers and anyone who champions opera in English. * Francesca Zambello, Director, Artistic Advisor to San Francisco Opera *
Staggeringly high standard of diction. The surest method of converting people to Opera. * Opera Now *
Singing in English can be one of the most satisfying experiences for a singer. Whilst singers realize considerable skills in a range of European languages, English remains sidelined, expected to look after itself. This book offers guidance to singers for 'singing and communicating,' which then leads to comprehension -- for artist and audience alike. In exploring this rich and varied language, Kathryn LaBouff deals fully with some obvious, and other much less obvious aspects of singing in English. Her book deserves a special place in every singer's library. * Sir Thomas Allen CBE, Kammersänger of the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich *
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Foreword Chapter 1: Why Study English Diction? Chapter 2: Communication Through Appropriate Stress Chapter 3: Preparation for Vowel Production Chapter 4: The Front Vowels Chapter 5: The Backing Vowels Chapter 6: The Mixed Vowels Chapter 7: The Diphthongs & Triphthongs Chapter 8: The Three Semi-Vowel Glides Chapter 9: Introduction to Consonants Chapter 10: The Plosives Chapter 11: The Fricatives Chapter 12: Nasal Consonants Plus Lyrical L Chapter 13: The Owner's Manual: Connecting the Dots Chapter 14: Singing in the British Dialect: "The Rain in Spain" Chapter 15: The Mid-Atlantic Dialect Afterword Appendices: I: IPA Alphabet for the English Language II: Three-Dialect Overview III: Regional Dialects Glossary Bibliography Index of Texts and Music Examples CD Guide
