A Handbook of Diction for Singers: Italian, German, French (Paperback)

by David Adams (Author) "Italian is widely assumed to be an easy language to sing, the easiest of all the foreign languages..." (more)
Key Phrases: vocalic harmonization, glottal separation, phrasal doubling, American English, German English, British English (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
David Adams...has produced an exceptionally well-plotted book on the often thorny topice of singers' diction....one of the great strengths of this book is its efficient use of examples, both spoken and musical. -- Bruce Neswick, The American Organist

Review

"A major contribution to the literature on lyric diction....[It brings] new insights and approaches into well-trodden ground....An essential book for the studio of any voice teacher."--Leslie De'Ath, in the Journal of Singing
"An excellent handbook, very useful for teachers and advanced singers. The author is very familiar with most students' problems and addresses important areas such as glottals in German."--Timothy Cheek, The University of Michigan


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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195120779
• ISBN-13: 978-0195120776
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #294,353 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference for All Singers, April 28, 2004

By	Student (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews

Professor David Adams skillfully offers keen insight into the basics of Italian, German, and French diction. In addition to covering the most general rules, he goes on to explain common exceptions and more elusive nuances of each language within the context of a singer's perspective. Some familiarity with the International Phonetic Alphabet is helpful but not necessary.

This book will prove a tremendous asset for any singer whose goal is more than simply singing correct notes. It will assist in adding that element of expression only possible with the clarity of the text as it was intended by the composer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome teacher made awesome book!!!!, March 19, 2008

By	O. Kwon - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Handbook of Diction for Singers: Italian, German, French (Paperback)

Prof. Adams was my previous voice teacher at College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati. Now I study voice at University of Illinois. We used his book for Diction class. Every terminology and explanation is very clear. It is best reference book for singers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent but look for the new edition, June 19, 2008

By	Singer Peter (Astoria, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent resource that I've used many times in my song study. I recently purchased the updated 2008 edition also by Adams, and it contains much of the same great material. I'd recommend either edition, but the latter does have more current research that makes it a bit more desirable.