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Melodeclamation

Melodeclamation (from Greek “melos” = song, and Latin “declamatio” = declamation) was a chiefly 19th century practice of reciting poetry while accompanied by concert music. It is also described as "a type of rhythmic vocal writing that bears a resemblance to Sprechstimme." It combines the principles of melodrama with a kind of extended technique. Examples can be found in the music of Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Anton Arensky, Mélanie Bonis, Vladimir Rebikov, Isaak Dunayevsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Franek Kimono, etc. Particular poems might be associated with particular composers; the works of Frédéric Chopin were often accompanied by the poem cycle of Kornel Ujejski that he called Tłumaczenia Szopena (Translations of Chopin). The cycle was widely circulated in several European languages, and some became particularly associated with specific preludes.

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Article summary

Melodeclamation (from Greek “melos” = song, and Latin “declamatio” = declamation) was a chiefly 19th century practice of reciting poetry while accompanied by concert music. It is also described as "a type of rhythmic vocal writing that bears a resemblance to Sprechstimme." It combines the principles of melodrama with a kind of extended technique. Examples can be found in the music of Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Anton Arensky, Mélanie Bonis, Vladimir Rebikov, Isaak Dunayevsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Franek Kimono, etc. Particular poems might be associated with particular composers; the works of Frédéric Chopin were often accompanied by the poem cycle of Kornel Ujejski that he called Tłumaczenia Szopena (Translations of Chopin). The cycle was widely circulated in several European languages, and some became particularly associated with specific preludes.

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  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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