Department of Music

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Browsing Department of Music by browse.metadata.advisor "Fick, Acama"

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    The career of South African soprano Nellie du Toit, born 1929
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2003-04) Mossolow, Alexandra Xenia Sabina; Fick, Acama; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Who is Nellie du Toit and what is the extent of her career as singer and voice teacher? The void in South African historiography in respect to the life and work of South African performing artists gave rise to investigate the career of Nellie du Toit. Known as one of South Africa’s most illustrious opera singers of the 1960’s and 1970’s, who made her career exclusively in South Africa, she is regarded as one of the most sought after voice teachers. Her career as singer spanned almost three decades. As voice teacher her career of over forty years is still ongoing. This study traces her biographical details chronologically beginning with her youth years in a very musical family. Her full-time music studies took place at the South African College of Music in Cape Town, from 1950 to 1952. Here her singing teacher Madame Adelheid Armhold and Gregorio Fiasconaro, head of the Opera School, were influential in laying the foundations for her career. After a period of over a year in England Du Toit was one of several young South African singers to contribute to pioneering opera in South Africa, often sung in the vernacular. Du Toit sang in forty-five opera seasons for the Provincial Arts Councils in the seventeen years between 1963 and 1979, when her opera career ended. In 1986 she returned to the opera stage as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss. This was also her final farewell as opera singer. The title role in Madama Butterfly can be regarded as her hallmark. Her stunning portrayal of Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor was regarded as a mile stone in South African opera history, as was her interpretation of Jenůfa. She was also hailed as a Mozart singer. Not only was she regarded as one of the world’s best “Butterflies” at the International Madame Butterfly Competition in Japan in 1970, but has she also been awarded three Nederburg Opera Prizes. Apart from opera, Du Toit gave numerous recitals of classical and light classical music, regularly sang in orchestral concerts and oratorio and was active as broadcasting artist. Her work as voice teacher always ran parallel to her singing activities. Her academic career at the Universities at Stellenbosch and Cape Town spanned fourteen years: from 1980 to 1993. Nellie du Toit’s achievements in music were laureated with the Medal of Honour from the Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1986 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stellenbosch in 1998.
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    'n Handleiding tot die didaktiek van sangonderrig met spesifieke verwysing na onderrig van die registeroorgange van die manstem
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000) Van Heerden, Petrus; Fick, Acama; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences . Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In preparation for the basic teaching in the instruction of the male singing voice, it is essential that the singing teacher becomes thoroughly familiar with the general pedagogical requirements of vocal training. Each of the sections in chapter 1 represents a wide-ranging study by itself but it will be presented in summarized form here. Chapter 2 focus chiefly on basic beginners' instruction which is indispensable for the establishment of a sound singing technique. The teaching principles of beginners' instruction which are set out in this chapter, are based on tested methods recognized internationally by various famous teachers. These teaching methods, together with literary research on this subject, have been condensed empirically over thirty years, into a system of teaching by the writer. The major focus of chapter 3 is on the physiology of the adolescent boy's changing voice. When adolescence sets in, from the age 13 - 15, enormous changes take place in the anatomical-physiological structure of a boy's larynx. These far-reaching changes are brought about by the influence of the sex hormones and consist of complex physical as well as psychological growth stages through which the young boy has to develop. Knowledge of the different stages in voice changes and their individual characteristics of sound are important requirements for voice classification which takes place during the formative training. Chapter 4 focuses on the problematic nature of the transition of the register of the male voice. To prepare for the teaching process of this transition (of the male voice), the teacher should be well-qualified to be able to identify the classification of the registers of the different male voice-types. In addition, he should be totally familiar with the ideal sound typical of the upper registers which would be required from a professional singer on the international stage. "The head register in the male singing voice is often one of the most difficult vocal adjustments to acquire and to maintain ... A well developed operatic head register, 'Vollton der Kopfstimme', is the hall-mark [ ... ] of all well-trained male singers" (Miller 1982: 120). The actualisation of this ideal sound which comes about through copertura-schooling of sound in the upper register is the focal point of this study. Therefore this chapter focuses specially on the ideal sound of the full voice in the upper register versus a cultivated falsetto sound in the upper register. Chapter 5 addresses the implementation of a didactical system by famous singers and singing teachers. Therefore in chapter 5 the focus is placed on the technical training of the secondo passagio by presenting technical exercise and the practical application of the standard vocal repertoire of the male voice. Due to length restrictions of this dissertation, there will be reference only to some technical exercise and examples of repertoire.