Can I use DictionBuddy on my computer?
No, currently DictionBuddy is only available on mobile devices and is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Where can I see a list of all the titles you offer?
You can download the app for free, view and search all the titles.
How were your translations done in the app?
Czech: Radoslava Quinn
French: Emma Lavandier
Russian: Viktoriya Koreneva
Spanish: Maria Brea
Italian: Emma Lavandier
What languages can I find in DictionBuddy?
Our library covers eight(8)languages: Czech, Spanish, Russian, French, German, Italian, English, and Latin. These are the most common languages of the classical repertoire. Future developments will include other languages and dialects.
What about duets, ensemble pieces, and full roles?
We are currently focused on expanding our library of solo pieces. As our membership grows, we will plan to include duets, ensemble pieces and full roles.
What about other genres such as musical theater, pop songs etc…?
Our current focus primarily includes opera, art song and oratorio works. Future development may include other genres.
Why a normal pace and a slow pace?
The normal pace reading follows the rhythm and inflections of the language. This poetic reading will help the listener capture the natural flow of the text.
The slow pace reading elongates the vowels and makes every syllable/phoneme very intelligible. It will help the listener understand how each syllable sounds, with an emphasis on words and vowel production for singing.
Both paces are complementary to achieve a reasonable mastery of phoneme production and language flow.
How can I fully trust the quality of the diction?
We have selected and assembled a team of diction experts. They are all native speakers and classically trained singers. As performers, they are aware of the challenges involved in enunciating a text while singing. This helps ensure that they not only speak the language perfectly, but have also mastered the art of delivering a text within a musical phrase. Vowel elongation is a key element when one aims at sustaining a note. This essential aspect is captured in the slow pace reading.
Our experts have also been selected and trained to deliver standard pronunciation, avoiding as much as possible regional accents. A thorough quality check has been put in place to avoid any discrepancies in pronunciation.
What if there is no sound coming out when the files are playing?
Please check the sound level of the device you are using to ensure it is high enough. If you are using an iPhone check the silent mode/vibrate switch on the left side of the phone.
Methodology
French
The R in French lyric diction
French people don’t flip or roll the R’s. They use the uvular R, which is produced further back, between the tongue and the uvula, i.e., the tip of the soft palate. The uvular R is widely used in pop songs, chansons and cabaret repertoire. In opera, a long-time tradition has been to flip the R. It is widely recognized as an easier way to produce an operatic sound by allowing proper pharyngeal space. Although we acknowledge that both flipped and uvular R’s are present today on the international operatic stage, the latter being championed by some famous French opera singers, we have adopted the traditional approach to flip the R’s, which is a commonly accepted practice in North America.
The French schwa
The schwa, commonly referred to as “mute E”, is not pronounced in spoken French. However it is to be sung in classical repertoire. The normal pace reading generally features light unstressed schwas, while the slow pace delivers elongated schwas, close to the [œ] sound. The key to a correctly produced French schwa is to round the lips, while keeping the tongue in the [Ɛ] position.
German
The R in German lyric diction
Although flipped R is not used in spoken German, it is common practice to flip the R’s in classical singing, for the same reason they are flipped in French lyric diction. Post-vocalic R’s, i.e., placed after a vowel, are a thorny subject in German lyric diction. In spoken German they assimilate to a vowel sound similar to, but distinct from a schwa. In sung German, they can either be flipped or pronounced as a vocalic R. The tempo, the importance of the word and its position in the phrase are factors that will influence the decision of the singer. For standardisation purposes, the approach we have taken is to flip all the R’s. It is then up to the singer to make artistic choices.
The -ig suffix in German
When final, the -ig suffix is pronounced [Iç], i.e., the ich-Laut. Examples: heilig, selig.
When followed by a vowel, the g returns to it normal hard soung [g]. Examples: heiliger, Koönigin.
When followed by a consonant, it can be either pronounced with the fricative sound [ç] or the hard g [g]. It will depend on the word, the context, and denotes an aesthetic choice.
Examples:
Traurigkeit is pronounced with the ich-Laut
Ängstigt can be pronounced both ways. The fricative (i.e., the ich-laut) is more prevalent in the North, but the more formal pronunciation is plosive (i.e., with a hard g). Additionally, and especially because it is used in its reflexive form in Schumann’s “Die Lotosblume” (ängstigt sich), having two words in a row with a pronunciation of “ch” does not sound good. Therefore, DictionBuddy advocates to use a hard g, acknowledging that it’s a question of aesthetics.
A similar choice arises in French when it comes to liaison. In the song “Chanson triste” by Duparc, we would normally do the liaison between “baisers” and “et” in “tant de baisers et de tendresses”. But we would end up with two consecutive [z] sounds, which is not very elegant. It is therefore strongly suggested not to do this liaison.
English
The R in English lyric diction
The burred R is not always opera friendly. Sometimes it is necessary to roll the R for the sound to carry and the text to be intelligible in a large hall. That’s especially the case for initial R’s. The pronunciation of the R’s is also governed by the choice of English dialect, for example American Standard (AS), British dialect, aka Received Pronunciation (RP), or a hybrid referred to as Mid-Atlantic (MA). Singing British repertoire and English oratorio involves lessening the R coloration of diphthongs and triphthongs, flipping intervocalic R, and rolling some R’s in initial position. Conversely, most of the modern and contemporary American repertoire will mainly use burred R.
