Vowels and consonants as the primary tools of expression in Arnold van Wyk's Vier weemoedige liedjies

Abstract

This study focuses on the use of vowels and consonants as primary tools of expression in South African composer Arnold van Wyk’s Vier weemoedige liedjies. Vowels and consonants are viewed as probable tools of expression as they can be manipulated, in terms of duration, intensity and physical formation, to suit the meaning of the text. The initial theory concerning the use of vowels and consonants to advance text expression was confirmed through practice-led experiments conducted with insight obtained from the existing literature. To utilise vowels and consonants for text expression, it was necessary to establish an awareness and understanding of the involvement of the articulators in the formation of vowels and consonants in Afrikaans, pronunciation challenges and solutions when singing in Afrikaans, and the basic roles of vowels and consonants in singing. Practice-led experiments were conducted using selected words to discover specific ways in which the meaning of the word could be enhanced, either by emphasising phonemes or under-articulating them to soften the meaning or change the colour of the word if so required by the text. These experiments were documented and score excerpts were included as contextual harmonic reference for selected words. The variation and adjustment of phonemes in emotive words depend on the context within the poem, as well as the meaning of the word. It was found that vowels and consonants can be lengthened or shortened (duration), pronounced louder or softer (intensity), or darker or brighter than during standard IPA pronunciation (formation), to enhance text expression.

Hierdie studie fokus op die gebruik van vokale en konsonante as primêre middele tot uitdrukking in Suid-Afrikaanse komponis Arnold van Wyk se Vier weemoedige liedjies. Vokale en konsonante word hier beskou as moontlike middele tot uitdrukking aangesien hulle gemanipuleer kan word in terme van duur, intensiteit en fisiese vorming om sodoende die betekenis van die teks te pas en versterk. Die aanvanklike teorie aangaande die gebruik van vokale en konsonate ter bevordering van teksuitdrukking is bevestig deur praktiese eksperimente wat gegrond is op die bestaande literatuur. Om vokale en konsonante aan te wend vir teksuitdrukking vereis ‘n bewussyn en begrip van die betrokkenheid van die artikulators tydens vokaal- en konsonantvorming, uitdagings en oplossings ten opsigte van Afrikaanse uitspraak tydens sang, asook die basiese, bestaande funksies van vokale en konsonante in sang. Praktiese eksperimente is uitgevoer met gekose woorde om spesifieke maniere te ontdek waarop die betekenis van die woorde versterk kan word, hetsy deur foneme te benadruk of onderbeklemtoon om ‘n sagtheid aan die woord te verleen of die kleur van die woord te verander, sou die teks dit vereis. Hierdie eksperimente is gedokumenteer en bladmusiekuittreksels word verskaf ten einde ‘n harmoniese konteks vir die gekose woorde daar te stel. Die variasie en aanpassing van foneme in emosioneel-belaaide woorde hang af van die konteks van die woord binne die geheel van die gedig, asook die betekenis van die betrokke woord. Die bevinding is dat vokale en konsonante verleng of verkort kan word (duur), harder of sagter uitgespreek kan word (intensiteit), asook helderder of donkerder as standaard IFA uitsprake (vorming) gebruik kan word ten einde die teks se betekenis te versterk.