In a message dated 5/22/01 6:33:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
cirodaraujo@u... writes:
cirodaraujo@u... writes:
<<
Villa Lobos in general is sung with a mixed southeast accent, unless
it is a setting of a regional poem.
>>
Ciro, there you are! I've been wondering where you've been hiding! For
Craig, the southeast would mean Rio de Janeiro. I think his songs were
written for Carioca salons. I can think of a number of Modinhas and Canções
for which a more rural accent would be appropriate.
But these are art songs, for heaven sakes, and the language has evolved since
Heitor wrote them, anyway. (I have a specific anecdote about that which I'll
save for later.) I believe, Craig, that you ought to use the European
Portuguese speakers as your resource. Go for a clear, understandable
diction. Can you tell which side of the Atlantic a singer comes from when
s/he sings either Britten or Barber with good general English lyric diction?
Don't worry about regionalisms, though some will be transcribed in the text,
and if you find that they differ in expression from what your Portuguese
friends understand, query one of us about a given passage. Some of the works
have African (Yoruba) words, invocations to some of the deities. Use the
phonetic system you receive from your European friends, and I don't think
you'll go wrong. It would be better if your audience hears these songs with
European diction than to not hear them at all. They are such gems and way
underperformed.
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