Overview

Singing in Polish: A Guide to Polish Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire stands as the first book-length resource for non-Polish–speaking singers, voice teachers, and vocal coaches that offers the essential tools for learning how to sing in Polish. Scholar and singer Benjamin Schultz offers a rich repertory of works virtually unknown outside of Poland, providing a unique catalyst for the introduction of Polish vocal music into the English-speaking world of performance. Never before has Polish vocal music been made so accessible to the musical world. With a foreword by Timothy Cheek, the author of Singing in Czech, as well as an overview of the development of Polish music by renowned violinist, Polish music specialist, and scholar Tyrone Greive, Singing in Polish concisely outlines the science and art of Polish lyric diction through the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The included texts of more than 60 art songs and arias from some of the most distinguished Polish composers of all time each feature IPA transcriptions and English translations. Appendixes include lists of key Polish music publishing companies, cultural centers, and Polish poets. Singing in Polish fills a void for singers, voice teachers, and vocal coaches in the Western tradition. It is a invaluable resource for anyone looking to add global variety to vocal performance in the studio, classroom, concert hall, or on the operatic stage.

Full Product Details

9781442230224

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Reviews

I am not sure how I would even attempt to sing in Polish were it not for Dr. Schultz's book Singing in Polish. Classical singers have much access to books on Italian, German, French, Russian and Czech but not Polish. What a super idea. I hope it will also bring many Polish song composers to the attention of students of art song and arias. King Roger, an opera by the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, has been performed quite a bit recently and looks to join mainstream opera. Kudos to Benjamin Schultz for thinking of this project and for championing works by Polish composers. -- Susanne Mentzer, international mezzo- soprano and professor of Voice Through the exchange partnership that exists between the University of Louisville School of Music and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, I traveled to Poland more than ten times from 2006-2013. My visits enriched my understanding of the Polish people and helped me to gain a deeper appreciation for Polish culture. Being a singer and a professor, I have desired to learn about Polish vocal music and the singing traditions of the region, and I am very pleased to have this book in my library as a teaching tool for the study of Polish vocal repertoire. It is sure to become a standard text to help organize diction practices of the language. I am honored to recommend this book as a valuable resource for any serious singer interested in pursuing the vast solo vocal repertoire of Poland. Whether their experience with Polish lyric diction is limited or extensive, English-speaking singers undoubtedly face severe challenges from the difficulties inherent in the language. These difficulties often arise from the presence of unfamiliar vowel sounds to multiple consonant clusters. In this book, the challenging characteristics of lyric Polish diction are presented clearly and concisely, and Dr. Schultz provides valuable information regarding important composers of the genre. The rich and deep history of solo song in Poland is worth exploring and this book provides an integral launching point for all western singers. Through my work with the professors at the Szymanowski Academy, I was eventually able to gain a fundamental ability to decipher Polish diction, however, this book would have aided my process tremendously. Over the past twenty-five years, the world has experienced an explosion of connectivity. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolving of the Soviet Union have allowed cultures once hidden behind the Iron Curtain to become more accessible and celebrated in the West. As a result of this, art, literature, and music from the former Eastern European countries are being introduced to students and audiences in the United States. The solo vocal music of Poland is truly beautiful and rewarding for singers and audiences alike, but Polish lyric diction has often been an insurmountable obstacle to singers wishing to explore the music. This book will undoubtedly help to change that. -- Daniel Weeks, associate professor of Music, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati ...is a unique and pioneering work both with respect to the approach to its subject and to its scope. I truly appreciate the manner in which the book discusses the phenomenon of Polish vocal literature, almost all of which is closely related to the spiritual climate of my Homeland. The idea of adding information on the history of Poland is also very valuable. The profiles of leading Polish composers, although brief, impress with their incisiveness. The whole part on the characteristic features of the sound of Polish language and its tricky subtleties is absolutely impressive from the professional point of view. I am sure that it will prove extremely useful, both for teachers and for performing artists. It was an awesome idea to include pronunciation guide recorded by an artist who is a native speaker of Polish. I am sure that book will truly contribute to exploring the treasury of Polish vocal literature which has always been difficult to understand due to the language barrier. We did our best with my pianist husband to include Polish songs in our recitals. Half of the programme of our performance given some years ago at Lincoln Center, New York featured songs by Chopin, Moniuszko, Karlowicz, Szymanowski and Lutoslawski. The reviews expressed gratitude for presenting the treasury of Polish music which has been unknown to the majority of the audience. I feel that Singing in Polish is a work fully deserving broad popularization and promotion. -- Ewa Podles, contralto

The reference list is substantial, and Greive's discourse on Polish music is well documented... It is indisputable that volumes such as this encourage the exploration of repertoire that is often overlooked... [S]ingers and pianists who wish to delve into this repertoire are provided with pronunciation and translation assistance. Singing in Polish is successful as a guide to lyric diction, and serves as a starting point for deeper investigation into this literature. Journal of Singing I am not sure how I would even attempt to sing in Polish were it not for Benjamin Schultz's book Singing in Polish. Kudos to Benjamin Schultz for thinking of this project and for championing works by Polish composers. -- Susanne Mentzer, international mezzo- soprano and professor of Voice The solo vocal music of Poland is truly beautiful and rewarding for singers and audiences alike, but Polish lyric diction has often been an insurmountable obstacle to singers wishing to explore the music. This book will undoubtedly help to change that. -- Daniel Weeks, associate professor of Music, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati [This] is a unique and pioneering work both with respect to the approach to its subject and to its scope...it will prove extremely useful, both for teachers and for performing artists. -- Ewa Podles, contralto

The reference list is substantial, and Greive’s discourse on Polish music is well documented…. It is indisputable that volumes such as this encourage the exploration of repertoire that is often overlooked.... [S]ingers and pianists who wish to delve into this repertoire are provided with pronunciation and translation assistance. Singing in Polish is successful as a guide to lyric diction, and serves as a starting point for deeper investigation into this literature. * Journal of Singing * Singing in Polish: A Guide to Polish Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire is a practical guide and good starting point for a native English-speaking artist interested in exploring Polish operatic and song literature. Timothy Cheek’s Singing in Czech: A Guide to Czech Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire opened up a whole new world of literature for the voice to Americans who wanted to explore pieces in Czech. With this work, published fifteen years later, Benjamin Schultz follows that tradition and opens the world of Polish vocal literature to a new audience. . . .I would certainly recommend this book as an addition to the personal libraries of teachers and students alike. Recommended. * The Opera Journal * [This] is a unique and pioneering work both with respect to the approach to its subject and to its scope...it will prove extremely useful, both for teachers and for performing artists. -- Ewa Podles, contralto I am not sure how I would even attempt to sing in Polish were it not for Benjamin Schultz’s book Singing in Polish. Kudos to Benjamin Schultz for thinking of this project and for championing works by Polish composers. -- Susanne Mentzer, international mezzo- soprano and professor of Voice The solo vocal music of Poland is truly beautiful and rewarding for singers and audiences alike, but Polish lyric diction has often been an insurmountable obstacle to singers wishing to explore the music. This book will undoubtedly help to change that. -- Daniel Weeks, associate professor of Music, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati

Author Information

Benjamin Schultz holds degrees in vocal performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Belmont University, and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He currently serves as the assistant director of the School of Music at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. As a bass-baritone, he has sung in numerous operas and performed oratorios and solo recitals. He has received national recognition from Polish cultural organizations for his research and performance of Polish vocal music.

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