Curriculum
The German for Singers and Vocal Coaches program includes two basic components:
A language component which provides two hours of instruction daily in German grammar and conversation at a level appropriate to each student's proficiency. (The language component for beginners to the German language is three hours per day.) Special attention is given to diction, conversational style, and poetic interpretation.
A performance component which includes private lessons and coaching every week; weekly Master Classes with focus on expression through correct diction and vocal and musical style; public recitals; and guest residencies by performers and teachers of national and international reputation. Repertoire includes German Lieder and operatic arias in solo and ensemble form. Students are expected to arrive with a minimum of four songs or arias memorized; additional assignments will be made during the summer.
Together, the language and performance components provide a context for the musical interpretation of song, and of operatic and oratorio literature.
Performance Component
The music performance component of the German for Singers and Vocal Coaches Program carries one unit of credit. Participants in the program enroll in one of the following four courses to complement their language component:
GN 104 Elementary Lyric Diction
GN 204 Intermediate Lyric Diction
GN 304 Advanced Lyric Diction I
GN 404 Advanced Lyric Diction II
Language Component
For the language component, two units of credit are awarded, and the courses are offered on four levels. They are:
GN 105-106 Elementary German for Singers:
Daily activities include three hours of classroom instruction, plus additional work in the language laboratory and the computer center. Emphasis will be placed on the grammatical structures of German, conversational survival skills, diction and pronunciation, as well as music vocabulary.
GN 205-206 Intermediate German for Singers:
Daily activities include two hours of grammar review, conversation, and composition practice to develop the four basic language skills. Pronunciation and diction are an integral part of this course, which also requires some activities in the language laboratory and the computer center.
GN 305-306 Advanced German for Singers:
Advanced Grammar and Communication meets two hours per day to analyze and practice advanced grammatical structures, to provide intensive written and oral language training, to offer insights into the German ways of perception, and to develop communication and reading skills. Some additional work in the language laboratory and computer lab is required.
GN 405-406 Advanced German for Singers II:
Stylistics, Expository Writing, and Communication meets two hours per day and aims at strengthening the student's ability to write and speak German at an advanced level.