Course Description
Fundamentals for singing in Italian, including symbols and sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Applied elements included with special focus on Italian art song and operatic repertoire.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be required to present more sophisticated
musical selections and will be graded more strictly on their
class presentations in accordance with their level of technical
and musical accomplishment. This will apply to their analyses of
listening assignments as well, which will be expected to be in
greater depth and detail. In addition, they will be required to
write a essay on the relationship between diction and vocal
production for the language they are studying.
Athena Title
ITALIAN DICTION
Undergraduate Prerequisite
Permission of major
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of major
Undergraduate Pre or Corequisite
MUSI 4461/6461
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The student will be able to: *use and apply IPA to reading, pronunciation, and transcription in Italian; *describe articulators and their use in accurate and stylistic lyric diction; *demonstrate accurate and stylistic pronunciation both within and outside of a song or aria; *discuss physiological production of the proper vowel and consonant sounds.
Topical Outline
Topics will include: 1. Enunciation exercises; 2. Special features of Italian diction; 3. IPA transcriptions of songs and arias; 4. Drill sessions, both at the board and orally; 5. Preparation and performance of songs and/or arias in Italian; 6. Listening assignments with annotated discography.