Since I just started a production of Les contes d'Hoffmann , we thought it would be the perfect time for some French Diction! Dr. François Germain and I discuss the text to Duparc's "Soupir", covering some of the digraphs in French and the concept of "déplacement de l'accent tonique"--the displacement of the tonic accent. For more Video Tutorials and Text Readings, or for the accompanying PDF for this Tutorial, please visit us at www.dictionpolice.com . You can also follow The Diction Police on ...
Oct 29, 2016•22 min
Since the podcast comes out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we post Diction Tips--very short tutorials focusing on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. In Diction Tip #8 Dr. François Germain explains when we need to pronounce the final mute 'e' in French Lyric Diction and how to do it! For more Diction Tips visit the videos section of our Facebook page or you can find all of our Diction Lessons, Diction Tips and Tongue Twisters for Singers at www.dictionpolice.com !...
Oct 22, 2016•3 min
'Tis just about the Messiah season, and time to start working on our diction for it! This week's Tutorial covers "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion", focusing on what happens when 't's and 'd's come together and how to deal with 'r's in English Diction with Jason Nedecky. We have already worked through some of the Messiah arias on the podcast (Comfort Ye Episode 66/Rejoice Greatly Episode 67); the complete Messiah, including IPA transcriptions and text readings by Jason Nedecky (our contr...
Oct 15, 2016•23 min
'Tis just about the Messiah season, and time to start working on our diction for it! This week's Tutorial covers "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion", focusing on what happens when 't's and 'd's come together and how to deal with 'r's in English Diction with Jason Nedecky. We have already worked through some of the Messiah arias on the podcast (Comfort Ye Episode 66/Rejoice Greatly Episode 67); the complete Messiah, including IPA transcriptions and text readings by Jason Nedecky (our contr...
Oct 15, 2016•23 min
Since the podcast comes out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we post Diction Tips--very short tutorials focusing on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. Diction Tip #7 has Simone di Felice explaining the rule of L M N R in Italian diction, using the text to "O del mio dolce ardor". For more Diction Tips visit the videos section of our Facebook page or you can find all of our Diction Lessons, Diction Tips and Tongue Twisters for Singers at www.dictionpolice.com !...
Oct 08, 2016•3 min
Mirko Roschkowski leads us through the text to "Wir wandelten", focusing on alliteration in German poetry, the difference between "gebe" and "gäbe", and glottals in the middle of words. No need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text and IPA right here! This is the audio version of the podcast--the full tutorial with video is also available. Our new website is live! Be sure to come to www.dictionpolice.com to check it out and subscribe to get all of our Special Dic...
Oct 01, 2016•20 min
Mirko Roschkowski leads us through the text to "Wir wandelten", focusing on alliteration in German poetry, the difference between "gebe" and "gäbe", and glottals in the middle of words. No need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text and IPA right here! Our new website is live! Be sure to come to www.dictionpolice.com to check it out and subscribe to get all of our Special Diction Unit premium content, like text reading videos (with normal and slow speed text readi...
Oct 01, 2016•20 min
Since the podcast comes out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we post Diction Tips--very short tutorials focusing on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. Diction Tip #6, with baritone and diction specialist Jason Nedecky, is about the unvoiced 'wh' [ʍ] in English Diction, a very subtle and nuanced sound that can cause confusion. For more Diction Tips visit the videos section of our Facebook page or you can find all of our Diction Lessons, Diction Tips and Tongue Twisters for Singers at www.diction...
Sep 24, 2016•3 min
In Episode 82 (from The Diction Police: Special Diction Unit), Simone de Felice walks us through the diction rules applicable in Scarlatti's "Se Florindo è fedele". This is the audio version of the tutorial--the full video tutorial is available on iTunes or at our website. Our new website will be going live within a few hours! Be sure to come to www.dictionpolice.com to check it out and subscribe to get all of our premium content, like text reading videos, and IPA transcriptions, as well as poet...
Sep 17, 2016•24 min
In Episode 82 (from The Diction Police: Special Diction Unit), Simone de Felice walks us through the diction rules applicable in Scarlatti's "Se Florindo è fedele". No need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text and IPA right here! Our new website will be going live within a few hours! Be sure to come to www.dictionpolice.com to check it out and subscribe to get all of our premium content, like text reading videos, and IPA transcriptions, as well as poetic and wor...
Sep 17, 2016•24 min
Since the podcast will be coming out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we post Diction Tips--very short tutorials focusing on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. Diction Tip #5 with German tenor Mirko Roschkowski is a clip from our conversation in "Halt" from Die schöne Müllerin , about how we use the term "glottal" and how to go about implementing it! For more Diction Tips visit the videos section of our Facebook page or you can find all of our Diction Lessons, Diction Tips and Tongue Twisters f...
Sep 10, 2016•4 min
Episode 81 (from The Diction Police: Special Diction Unit) covers the text to "Villanelle" from Berlioz' Les nuits d'été . Dr. François Germain leads us through the text, focusing on some deceptive pronunciations and liaisons as well as vocalic harmonisation. This is the audio version of the podcast. For the full video tutorial, click here . We are in the midst of revamping our website, to include text readings as well as subscription capabilities, plus a blog page where you can find all of our ...
Sep 03, 2016•23 min
Episode 81 (from The Diction Police: Special Diction Unit) covers the text to "Villanelle" from Berlioz' Les nuits d'été . Dr. François Germain leads us through the text, focusing on some deceptive pronunciations and liaisons as well as vocalic harmonisation. No need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text, IPA, and conversation on the video! We are in the midst of revamping our website, to include text readings as well as subscription capabilities, plus a blog pag...
Sep 03, 2016•23 min
Since the podcast will be coming out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we post Diction Tips--very short tutorials focusing on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. Diction Tip #4 with vocal coach Dr. François Germain is about the [ɛ̃] in French Diction. For more Diction Tips visit the videos section of our Facebook page, and if you missed our Diction Police: By the Book webinars on French Lyric Diction, all four episodes will be available on our YouTube channel !...
Aug 27, 2016•2 min
We're back from summer vacation with all-new episodes! This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit--this is the audio version, for people who want to listen on-the-go. This week we focus on "Who is Sylvia" from Gerald Finzi's Let Us Garlands Bring. The text comes from Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, and we concentrate in the open I [ɪ], as well as the differences and similarities between [ə], [ɜ], and [ʌ], as in the phrase "the dull earth". For the full video Tut...
Aug 21, 2016•26 min
We're back from summer vacation with all-new episodes! This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit--no need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text, IPA, and conversation on the video! This week we focus on "Who is Sylvia" from Gerald Finzi's Let Us Garlands Bring. The text comes from Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, and we concentrate in the open I [ɪ], as well as the differences and similarities between [ə], [ɜ], and [ʌ], as in the...
Aug 21, 2016•26 min
This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit! No need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text, IPA, and conversation on the video! Mirko Roschkowski leads us through the text to "Morgengruß" from Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin , with readings at normal and slow speeds, as well as our usual Diction Police-style interview and wrap-up. The full IPA transcript, with poetic and word-for-word translation is available for individual sale here . Fo...
Jun 25, 2016•25 min
This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit! This is the audio version of the SDU Video Tutorial, for people who want to listen on-the-go. Mirko Roschkowski leads us through the text to "Morgengruß" from Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin , with readings at normal and slow speeds, as well as our usual Diction Police-style interview and wrap-up. The full IPA transcript, with poetic and word-for-word translation is available for individual sale here . For the full video tutor...
Jun 25, 2016•25 min
Since the podcast will be coming out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we will be posting Diction Tips--very short tutorials focusing on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. Diction Tip #3 with tenor Mirko Roschkowski is about the final R in German. For more Diction Tips visit the videos section of our Facebook page, and if you missed our Diction Police: By the Book webinars on French Lyric Diction, all four episodes will be available on our YouTube channel !...
Jun 18, 2016•2 min
This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit! This is the audio version of the SDU video tutorial, for people who want to listen while they are out and about. François Germain leads us through the text to "Avant de quitter", Valentin's aria from Gounod's Faust , with readings at normal and slow speeds, as well as our usual Diction Police-style interview and wrap-up. The full IPA transcript, with poetic and word-for-word translation is available for individual sale here ....
Jun 11, 2016•31 min
This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit No need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text, IPA, and conversation on the video! François Germain leads us through the text to "Avant de quitter", Valentin's aria from Gounod's Faust , with readings at normal and slow speeds, as well as our usual Diction Police-style interview and wrap-up. The full IPA transcript, with poetic and word-for-word translation is available for individual sale here...
Jun 11, 2016•31 min
Since the podcast comes out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we post Diction Tips--very short tutorials on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. Diction Tip #2 with Simone di Felice is all about the assimilation of the letter N to the consonant that follows it. For more Diction Tips, go to our YouTube channel or visit the videos section of our Facebook page! Be sure to check out our new Tongue Twisters for Singers series, too, for more ways to exercise your articulators!...
Jun 04, 2016•3 min
This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit! This is the audio version of the SDU Video Tutorial, for people who want to listen while they are out and about. Simone di Felice leads us through the text to Conti's Il mio bel foco... Quella fiamma che m'accende , with readings at normal and slow speeds, as well as our usual Diction Police-style interview and wrap-up. The full IPA transcript, with poetic and word-for-word translations is available (in English, French, and G...
May 27, 2016•26 min
This week's episode is from The Diction Police's Special Diction Unit No need to go looking for the text, because you can follow along with the text, IPA, and conversation on the video! Simone di Felice leads us through the text to Conti's Il mio bel foco... Quella fiamma che m'accende , with readings at normal and slow speeds, as well as our usual Diction Police-style interview and wrap-up. The full IPA transcript, with poetic and word-for-word translations is available (in English, French, and...
May 27, 2016•26 min
Since the podcast will be coming out every two weeks, on the off-weeks we will be posting Diction Tips--very short tutorials focusing on a specific topic in Lyric Diction. Diction Tip #1 is all about the pronunciation of the word "donc" in French. For more Diction Tips, go to our YouTube channel or visit the videos section of our Facebook page!
May 21, 2016•2 min
Gilles Ragon is back to discuss French Diction with the text to "Klein-Zach" from Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann . Our focus is on what happens when the same vowel sound appears back-to-back with no consonant between them, liaison, and some exceptional pronunciations in French. The libretto for Les contes d'Hoffmann can be found at the Opera Guide. Make sure to click on L for libretto and F for French (because it defaults back every time) and then scroll down to Act I scene 4--the aria starts...
May 15, 2016•24 min
This week, French tenor Gilles Ragon works through Don José's aria, "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée", from Carmen with us. We concentrate on the letter "e" and how to tell whether it's the open epsilon [ɛ], the closed lower case [e] or the schwa [ə]. We talk about the accent grave (è) and accent circonflex (ê) which both open the vowel to [ɛ] and the accent aigu (é) which closes it to [e]. The libretto for Carmen can be found at the Opera Guide. Make sure to click on L for libretto and F for Fren...
May 19, 2014•27 min
In this episode we finish up our conversation with Martin Koch, with the text "Wenn sich zwei Herzen scheiden" and an exercise from Dr. Augustin Ulrich Nebert's article "Das einzigartige -IG". Obviously we are focusing on the ending -IG again as well as devoicing/unvoicing final consonants and the voiced initial S. The text Wenn sich zwei Herzen scheiden was written by Emanuel von Geibel , a 19th century poet who was part of a linguistic society in Munich called Die Krokodile (the Crocodile Soci...
Nov 12, 2013•31 min
This episode is the beginning of a conversation with German tenor Martin Koch. With the text to Mendelssohn's "Frage", we focus on the -IG suffix, whether to roll an R or to use the near-open central vowel [ɐ] (which I keep calling the upside down bright A) and a few notable exceptional words with long, closed vowels followed by two consonants. Originally attributed to H. Voss, it appears that Mendelssohn himself wrote the text as well as the music to " Frage ". This song also became the basis f...
Sep 29, 2013•29 min
This is a mini-episode with some tips on learning how to roll Rs. Kerry Deal (from the faculty of Boston Conservatory and MIT) and Michael Strauss (a vocal coach with New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory) talk about the problems we have rolling our Rs and give us some exericises and tricks to help us practice! We've been working together at the International Performing Arts Institute for the past few summers. Don't forget that there are already two episodes with tongue exercises as w...
Sep 08, 2013•17 min
