Singing in Russian

With its unique blend of eastern and western traditions of music and poetry, the world of Russian vocal music is rich in spirituality, intimacy, and passion for singers and their audience. Russian song traditions offer an ideal opportunity for self-expression and the forging of a deep connection with one's listeners. It also presents formidable challenges to singers at every level, ranging from the complexities native to sung and spoken Russian to the intricacies of diction and interpretation that lie behind the nuanced relationship between Russian music and poetry.
Founded on the underlying principle that sung language differs dramatically from spoken language, Singing in Russian offers a comprehensive and accessible approach to understanding, mastering, and performing Russian vocal music. After covering the basics of the Cyrillic alphabet and Russian grammar and diction, author Emily Olin encourages readers to take the innovative step of using the music itself to guide the singer's pronunciation and interpretation. English sound comparisons, linguistic and musical examples, and multifaceted exercises complement textual explanations, reinforcing the techniques Olin has employed for over three decades. The addition of repertoire lists and practical recommendations further equip singers to confidently go from start to stage. Furthermore, the online audio examples contain exercises that demonstrate and reinforce the correct sound and interpretation of everything from the alphabet to the presentation of vowels, consonants, words, and phrases. They can be found at https://soundcloud.com/user-869634200/sets/singing-in-russian-a-guide-to-language-and-performance.
Singing in Russian is an invaluable resource for students, performers, teachers, directors, conductors, and coaches seeking to increase their access to Russian opera and art song, master the challenges they present to performance, and expand their personal, professional, and institutional repertoire on stage.

Emily Olin

Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations List of Recordings Part One: From Start To Stage Chapter 1: Russian Alphabet History of the Alphabet The Alphabet Chapter 2: Russian Vowels Hard Vowels-Stressed Hard Vowels-Unstressed: Vowel Reduction Soft Vowels-Stressed Soft Vowels-Unstressed: Vowel Reduction ? (ee-kratkoye) Vowel Clusters Stress in Russian Words Music Analysis Example Summary Chapter 3: Russian Consonants Hard Consonants Soft Consonants Hissing Consonants ?, ?, ?, ?, and ? Russian Consonant ? Hard and Soft Signs Voiced and Voiceless Consonants Consonant Clusters Double Consonants Consonants from the Same Pair Different Consonants Exceptions Pronunciation of Unstressed Syllables Music Analysis Example Summary Chapter 4: A Little Bit of Grammar The Parts of a Word Basic Parts of Speech Short Words Interrogative Words Word Order in Russian Sentences Russian Punctuation Summary Chapter 5: Pillars of Creative Performance Demands of the Genre Articulation and Pronunciation Phrase Interpretation Text "Invisible Inspiration" Music Analysis Example In Summation Chapter 6: Difficulties and Delights of Singing in Russian: Essays by Non-Russian Singers Russian for American Singers: a First-Hand Experience, by Peter Clark Singing in Russian, by Phyllis Farmer "I Feel Personal Connection to the Russian Repertoire", by Mary Phillips The Challenges and Joys of Singing in Russian, by Patrick Carfizzi "Russian Music-Part of My Heart", by Sasha Lazard Chapter 7:Russian Style in Performance: Essays by Russian Musicians Russian Romance: Pronunciation, Style and Interpretation, by Valery Aliev Some Advice for Singing Russian Music by Ruben P. Lisitsian Russian Music Is Still Undiscovered, by Vera Tariverdieva Part Two: Music of the Russian Soul Chapter 8: Russian Composers and World Music Historical Comparison A Brief History Selected Russian Classical Composers Chapter 9: Russian Opera The Development of Russian Opera Selected Operas Chapter 10: Recommended Russian Operatic Repertoire - Arias Soprano Mezzo-soprano Tenor Baritone Bass Chapter 11: Recommended Russian Art Song Repertoire - Romances Russian Folk Songs, Traditionally Performed by Classical Singers "Old Russian Romances" From 19th Century to Beginning of the Soviet Period Works of the Soviet and Post-Soviet Composers Chapter 12: Literary Inspiration Operas Romances Cross Currents Selected Russian Poets and Writers Selected Non-Russian Poets and Writers Appendix 1: Working with the dictionary Appendix 2: Compilation of Sung Exercises Bibliography Index About the Author