diction in art songs...

[Michael Denner]

Anyone have a good, practical, and efficient guide to Russian diction for singers? 

 

I'm helping a couple of members of our conservatory. They're singing романсы and art songs. I have seared on my brain Avanesov's Русское литературное произношение from a grueling class with Larry Richter, but I don't know how valid those norms are for contemporary performances of art songs.

 

For instance: Listening to a variety of interpretations of Rakhmaninov's Сумерки, I hear very different pronunciations. One older version (Chanos, Naoumenko), seems to follow Avanesov's directions: doesn't reduce the O except word-initial and Naumenko pronounces the -E- in a participle as /ye/. Восходят he sings /восходят/ and not /васходит/, etc...

 

A newer version  (Atoll, Dodoka) - observes all the norms that I associate with R1 speech, including a /yo/ in the past-passive participle and all the non-word-initial O's and unstressed я --> /и/, etc. 

 

So, if this song were to be performed in Moscow, today, what model of diction would one probably use? (I realize that this question is probably not as simple as it's posed, but I guess I'm looking for popular expectations.)

~mad
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
   Dr. Michael A. Denner
   Editor, Tolstoy Studies Journal
   Director, University Honors Program

   
   Contact Information:
      Russian Studies Program
      Stetson University
      Campus Box 8361
      DeLand, FL 32720-3756
      386.822.7381 (department)
      386.822.7265 (direct line)
      386.822.7380 (fax)

      google talk michaeladenner
      www.stetson.edu/~mdenner

 


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