TOWARDS THE ANALYSIS OF VERBAL TEXT INTELLIGIBILITY IN CONTEMPORARY VOCAL MUSIC

Authors

  • Gundega Šmite

Keywords:

verbal text intelligibility, linear disposition, masking, modification

Abstract

The inquiry in the problem of the verbal text intelligibility is in the focus of the article. The verbal text in the musical work can preserve or, on the contrary, lose its communicative potential. The research on verbal text intelligibility is a complex and multidimensional issue, which requires an interdisciplinary approach. Four main factors that influence the verbal text intelligibility, are related to the performer, listener, environment and composer’s approach. The inquiry in all four factors is essential, though each of them can be discussed also separately. This article relates to the inquiry of the fourth factor – the music and text conjunction (composer’s approach). The purpose of many contemporary composers is not to reflect the meaning of text in a comprehensive level. The priority often becomes a musical text itself, where the verbal text functions as one of the musical elements. The communication of verbal text is influenced by many factors of music and word relationships – vocal style, reflection of prosody, tessitura, the text condition, texture and one special factor – the realisation of verbal text. The analysis, which is focused on the intelligibility level of the verbal text within the score, will be presented with short excerpts from the choral composition Le Temps scintille... (2003) by Latvian composer Mārtiņš Viļums.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Boulez P. (1958). Ton, Wort, Synthese. Translated by M. Cooper as: Sound, word, synthesis. In: P. Boulez. Orientations: Collected Writings. Edited by J.-J. Nattiez. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1986, pp. 177–182.

Boulez, P. (1963). Poésie – centre et absence – musique. Translated by M. Cooper as: Poetry – centre and absence – music. In: P. Boulez. Orientations: Collected Writings. Edited by J.-J. Nattiez. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1986, pp. 183–198.

Cuddon, J. A. (1999). The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. Revised by C. E. Preston. 6th edition. England: Penguin Books.

Fine, P., & J. Ginsgorg (2007). Perceived Factors Affecting the Intelligibility of Sung Text. Paper and poster at CIM07, the Third Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology, in Tallinn, Estonia, 15–19 August. http://www.uni-graz.at/~parncutt/cim07/CIM07%20Proceedings/CIM07_Fine-Ginsborg_Perceived%20factors%20sung%20text.pdf

Stacey, P. (1989). Contemporary Tendencies in the Relationship of Music and Text with Special Reference to Pli selon pli (Boulez) and Laborintus II (Berio). New York and London: Garlandia Publishing Inc.

Viļums, M. (2009). Personal interview. 4 January.

Published

20.06.2024

Issue

Section

2ND THEME. NEW APPROACHES TO MUSIC ANALYSIS

How to Cite

TOWARDS THE ANALYSIS OF VERBAL TEXT INTELLIGIBILITY IN CONTEMPORARY VOCAL MUSIC. (2024). Mūzikas akadēmijas Raksti, 8, 208–216. https://scriptamusica.lv/index.php/mar/article/view/278