Song Inter­pret­a­tion

• Year of study: Two semesters, autumn and spring
• Final assessment: Assessment by the course instructor
• Language of instruction: Norwegian or English

Course description

The course provides piano and song students with the opportunity to specialize in song interpretation. Pianist and singer form a permanent duo and will gain insight into core repertoire from various eras and language areas, focusing on interpretation.

Allocation of the course depends on the applicants' possibilities to combine to duos.

Course coordinator: Piano, Accompaniment, Guitar and Accordion Department.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to

• have experience and knowledge of various collaborative aspects of the art of romance
• understand the basic rehearsal work required by both parties
• can formulate and communicate relevant rehearsal questions
• have insight into a wide repertoire from various epochs and language areas
• maintain a conscious attitude towards the content of the poem

Overview

• Duets for pianists and singers with a focus on collaboration.
• Individual instruction for both singers and pianists, with mandatory attendance for the entire duo.
• Awareness of the pianist's role in the lied duo.

Structure

The course is organized with individual duo lessons and joint seminars. The tuition of the duo is 30 minutes per week for 18 weeks, and the seminars 90 minutes for 9 weeks. Some of the tuition may be organized in other ways if appropriate, such as listening to accompaniment tuition, and visits to art song concerts.

Course requirements

1. Participation is compulsory for all instruction. More than 20 % of absence will normally result in the student not passing the course.
2. The student must attend at least two concerts during the academic year. The concerts must also include oral presentations.
3. At the end of the course, the student must submit a list of rehearsed and performed repertoire totaling 20 to 30 minutes.
4. The student must submit two written assignments about the rehearsal work by a deadline set by the instructor. Each assignment should be approximately 500 words.

Deadline: All course requirements must be approved by 15 May in the second semester of the course.

Final assessment

All course requirements must be approved prior to obtaining a final assessment.

Assessment is based on learning objectives. The final assessment is given as a pass/fail mark, which is determined by the course instructor based on each student’s level of achievement throughout the course period. The student's presence and commitment in lessons will be strongly emphasised, as well as the concert performances.

New assessment

Students/duos who do not pass the course must complete a concert lasting 15-20 minutes, with a new repertoire.