Diction Check List
Here are a list of questions that help you evaluate how much diction you know
Italian
How many different vowel sounds are there in Italian?
How do you pronounce the z in "mezzo", "piazza", "Zerlina, and "senza"
How do you properly emphasize the stressed syllables?
Is there glottal attack in Italian?
In a word, when do you pronounce the s between two vowels as [s] and why?
Can you explain what phrasal doubling is and its rules?
Do you know how diction could help you determine where to add "portamento" in Italian Romantic compositions?
Do you know how much liberty of rhythm you have performing recits by Mozart, Händel, Rossini,..., and Verdi?
French
Are the majority of o open or closed?
In a word, what does [z] often do to the vowel before?
In a word, what does [r] often do to the vowel before?
How do you pronounce [r] in Classical singing and speaking in French?
Do you know what's the first vowel in the word "monsieur"?
What does "careful" mean in terms of treating final consonants in French?
Are you certain of how to phonate the nasal sounds, [ɑ̃], [ɛ̃], [œ̃], [ɔ̃], and how to project them while singing?
Do you know the IPA for "ai", "mais", "Thaïs", and "faisons"?
How do you treat schwa in speaking and in singing?
Do you know the rules of when to apply the liaison or not?
How do you treat the final schwas in Ravel's "Histoires naturelles"?
What does the nature of French do to the tempi especially for the pieces composed by French composers?
What is vocalic harmonization?
German
Do you know the basic rules to deduce whether a vowel should be open or closed by the spelling?
Do you remember the rule of how to pronounce "ch" as [ç] or [x]?
Do you know how to pronounce the g in "ewig"in Classical singing and common day speaking?
Do you know how to pronounce the g while singing "ewig", "ewiger", "finger", "weggehen", "fragt", and "baldigst"?
How do you pronounce the y in the word, psycologie?
Can you pronounce [y], [Y], [ø], [œ], [ə], and do you know how to phonate them methodically?
Why would the vowels before "ss" sometimes open and sometimes closed?
Do "vor" and "von"have the same vowel sounds?
Do "mir" and "mit" have the same vowel sounds?
Is the first e in the word "edler" closed or open, and why?
How do you treat r in German? For instance, how would you pronounce "erst", "frühling", "Uhr", "heran", and "aber"?