ITALIAN SONG TEXTS FROM THE 17th CENTURY Volume I

By Martha Gerhart

This first volume of Italian song texts from the 17th century is now ready after more than two years in preparation. This exciting volume contains IPA Transliteration, Word-for-Word English Translation, and Idiomatic Translation by Martha Gerhart.

vi + 523 Pages Hard Cover Linen Binding Smyth-Sewn 523 Song Texts

ISBN 1-878617-47-8

“Leyerle is to be commended for investing systematically in language reference tools for the voice teacher and coach. The latest volume provides literal and idiomatic translations and IPA transcriptions of 17th-century Italian songs found in 99 collections commonly, and not so commonly, used in the voice studio. Succeeding volumes will do the same for Italian song into the 21st century. As with similar previous volumes (on Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and Wolf), the standard is extremely high. Gerhart's career as a vocal coach/accompanist in New York and later as a professor of accompanying and diction at Southern Methodist University immersed her in this material. She consulted with two native Italian speakers on archaic usages and unusual details of pronunciation. Editorial notes throughout the text respond to errors perpetuated by influential publications. No other publication presently available covers the sheer quantity of texts. Few include IPA transcriptions. Gerhart includes a valuable glossary ("names, places, and things referred to in the texts"), an index of first lines, common titles, and composers, and a bibliography keyed to references in the body of the book. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Of equal importance to small and large voice programs; all levels.”

— from CHOICE, A Publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries M.S. Roy, Pennsylvania State University, University Park Campus, June 2003 Vol. 40 No. 10

“I have been aware of your wonderful work in Italian text transcriptions in the vocal anthologies now available, but my admiration spiraled upwards when 'our' publisher Bill Leyerle sent me a copy of your most useful and beautiful volume on Italian Song Texts from the 17th Century. Meticulously researched, lovingly put together, it is in one word: a jewel Ñ un gioiello as well as Una gioia!...No works like these, for Italian song, were ever available before, prepared in such detail and with such scholarship. Bravissima, Martha Ñ can't wait for the second volume!”

— Nico Castel, Metropolitan Opera artist, Language and Diction teacher, and author of many volumes of opera libretti in IPA, word-for-word translation, and idiomatic translation.

“Leyerle publications has done it again! What a beautiful beginning to Italian song repertoire. Martha Gerhart's book is wonderful in every way. Many thanks for these wonderful tools. It's a gorgeous book...so thoughtfully organized, thorough, and informative. Every teacher of singing and certainly every music library should own this book. It is a 'must have,' and for students, a 'must use.' I also loved the Glossary... wonderful information at my fingertips.”

— Erie Mills, Soprano; Associate Professor of Voice at San Jose (CA) State University

“...Martha Gerhart's first volume of this series brings us obscure gems of the Italian Song heritage, as well as the classic favorites such as Amarilli, in carefully phoneticized transliteration and clear translation. I highly recommend this series to students, teachers, scholars and performers.”

— Gregory Buchalter, Assistant Conductor, The Metropolitan Opera

“I am extremely impressed by the sheer 'usability' of what Martha Gerhart and her colleagues have accomplished. Rarely has a reference work combined such scholarship with so much practical information. This is an important resource not only for singers, coaches, teachers, but also for program annotators, concert presenters, and musicologists. I eagerly look forward to the apearance of the other volumes in this series”

— Dr. Clifford (Kip) Cranna, Musical Administrator, San Francisco Opera

”Your beautiful book arrived yesterday, and it shows in every particular your devotion to the language and fastidious concern for the 'luminous details' that bring such a project to life“

— Susan Webb, Assistant Conductor, The Metropolitan Opera

“Martha Gerhart exceeds even her own high standards of accuracy and scholarship with this new book. Her copious margin notes should render obsolete the long-heard lament, 'I looked up every word and still don't understand it!' Brava to Martha Gerhart for having brought some of these marvelous songs out of the obscurity in which they had been languishing. She has anticipated all the language traps in which singers in early Italian find themselves, and with great skill has shown them the way out. Singers no longer need feel that the 17th century, with its 'quaint' or 'archaic' language is inaccessible. With these extraordinarily accurate translations Martha Gerhart has placed it within everyone's reach.”

— Robert Cowart, Linguist; Language and Diction teacher for the Metropolitan Opera's Lindermann Program; The Manhattan School of Music; The Curtis Institute of Music