Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Performing Arts Honours

School

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)

Faculty

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)

First Supervisor

Dr Jonathan Paget

Abstract

The impetus behind this study is the suspicion that singers beginning their training are either unaware of the vast amount of preparation that needs to occur when performing any work or they are aware but have no idea where to start. The understanding of text and an emotional connection with its meaning are vital to a successful Lied performance. This dissertation aims to create a method of preparing the text (of a Lied) that encourages detailed observation and creative thought, and which enables a musician with limited understanding of the German language to comfortably acquaint themselves with the repertoire. This thesis is based on the idea that text should always come first when preparing a song for performance. By looking at various resources one can find the best ways to analyse and understand texts of all languages. From this a 3 step method has been formed. Step 1; observation, step 2; analysis, and step 3; performance. The method has been put into the form of a two-page worksheet detailing the procedure. It also includes a definition of terms, a recommended resources list and a German International Phonetic Alphabet guide. The method is then put into practice using two pieces from Robert Schumann's song cycle, Frauenliebe und Leben and conclusions presented at the end.

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