Karol Szymanowski, Rymy dziecice, op. 49, for Voice and Piano

Laura Kafka-Price and Maksymilian Krzak

Polish Pronunciation Guide for Singers, written by Laura Kafka-Price and Maksymilian Krzak, offers approachable and consistent explanations of Polish language pronunciation. The book presents the sounds of Polish, along with essential information on relevant aspects of performing in this language. Focusing on the 20 songs of Karol Szymanowski’sRymy dziecice, op. 49 for voice and piano, this book arms singers with the tools to be successful performing any Polish repertoire. Because these delightful songs, composed between 1922-1923, have concise forms and narrow vocal range, they are excellent for singers just beginning their journey with Polish repertoire.

A comprehensive companion website is interwoven throughout the elements of this text to recreate a classroom learning environment. It features high-quality voiceover recordings of examples of Polish words read by Maksymilian Krzak, as well as verbal warm-up exercises for each song, piano accompaniment, intoning of the songs, and recitations of the poems by pianist Tomasz Robak. Along with theRymy dziecice, op. 49 score, readers will have the original Polish text and an original English score translation. Any student singer, professional singer, voice teacher, vocal coach, diction instructor, or conductor interested in expanding their repertoire will find this learning guide an invaluable resource.