Singing is a complex endeavor, as we all know. The training is much more extensive than the listeners know—and this is vital!!! They must not “feel” the years of study of technicalities of harmony, melody, rhythm; musicianship; acting; movement; personal presentation…! It must be integrated and effortless. So, if we look at what creates the meaning in singing an aria or song, it is interpretation of the music, of course, but it is also profound understanding of the sounds of the language. This part is often not conveyed by singers in my humble opinion. If your French sounds like Bel Canto Italian, a great deal of meaning is lost. This is why I’m passionate about separate training of language for singers. It is not to learn to speak the language, although this is a great asset—it is to truly understand the nuances of the sound of the language and the basic grammatical elements. This conveys the meaning. A Goethe poem put to music by Schumann is done so deliberately. The accompaniment is deliberate. The melody is deliberate. The poem must resonate. Goethe must be Goethe. German must sound German!!!! The nuancing of syllables, the stress, the release, the entry, the length of the vowels. Everything must be German. So…the long and short of it is language training in the specific language is vital!
