Intonation
  • henrik.hank
    Posts: 103
    Laudetur Jesus Christus!
    I am studying Latin and its pronounciation. I have three questions (I hope it's the right forum):
    1. What kind kind of intonation should one have when speaking Latin? Does Gregorian chant teach us anything about it?
    2. What is intonation? Is it just different musial notes, eg if you say the word Pater it is C#-C, or is it something else?
    3. Do you think we Swedes sing when we talk? I don't think so but what do you Gregorian musicians have to say?
    and do you know any good writings about this subject?
  • rogue63
    Posts: 410
    I will leave questions 1 and 2 to those more expert than I, but I can certainly address #3.

    I lived in Iceland for three years, and while I never met any Swedes there, I did meet a few Norwegians, and they certainly sing while talking; a very broad range of pitch and inflection. Icelanders tend to view themselves as speaking in a monotone, but that's not true---their range is just more subtle and nuanced than the nearly operatic Norwegians. It was highly amusing to play chamber concerts for a Norwegian tenor singing Icelandic texts! Surely spoken Swedish shares some of these characteristics?
  • henrik.hank
    Posts: 103
    Surely spoken Swedish shares some of these characteristics?
    a video with a man speaking different Swedish accents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIVb_AfPrN4
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