MUS2055 : Translation for Singing

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

This module aims to bring students of music and modern languages together, to give both sets of students a solid grounding in a specific type of translation. For students of modern languages, this should be of use in their development as translators. For students of singing and musical composition, this should be of use in their development as performing singers and composers of vocal music. For students of both music and modern languages, this module should contribute to a heightened awareness of how speech rhythms, linguistic construction, and 'literal' meanings of texts intersect, reinforce, or conflict with the demands of an accompanying musical 'text'. It will also develop skills in collaborative creative practice, engaging diverse skill sets to create group translations.

Outline Of Syllabus

- Key issues in translation for musical and dramatic performance
- Workshops on translation of sung texts in various languages.
- The languages focussed on will depend on the staff available in any given year, but will typically include a maximum of three from the following: French, Chinese, Italian, Spanish and German.
- The sung texts will be from various genres, typically including opera; musical theatre; art, pop and folk song; and choral music.


A typical syllabus might be as follows:
Week 1             Translation Theory for Performance
Week 2             Lecture on translation of sung music in language 1      
Week 3             Workshop on translation of sung music in language 1      
Week 4             Lecture on translation of sung music in language 2
Week 5             Workshop on translation of sung music in language 2      
Week 6             Lecture on translation of sung music in language 3
Week 7             Workshop on translation of sung music in language 3      
Week 8             Guest Lecture/ Student collaborative translation workshop, working towards assessment
Week 9             Student collaborative translation workshop, working towards assessment
Week 10             Student collaborative translation workshop, working towards assessment      
Week 11 Student presentations of submission-ready portfolios

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion134:0034:00Preparation of self-reflective written work
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture42:008:00Introduction to translation techniques and vocal music translation in various languages (PIP)
Guided Independent StudyDirected research and reading1100:00100:00Theoretical/practical research & readings engaging with challenges of translating texts
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesPractical44:0016:00Staff supervised/ student led group translation meetings leading to assessed submission (PIP)
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching13:003:00Seminar - Student presentations of workshop outcomes and peer feedback (PIP)
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching32:006:00Collaborative workshops on translation based on lectures (PIP)
Guided Independent StudyProject work133:0033:00Preparation for small-group work
Total200:00
Jointly Taught With
Code Title
MUS8016Translation for Singing
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This course is a combination of 1) lectures, and staff-led workshops to introduce students to translation of song in various languages with short group exercises, student presentations and discussions of these exercises, and 2) staff-supervised collaborative work in groups with the aim of producing an assessed English translation of a foreign-language vocal work.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Portfolio1A20Group portfolio. Size will depend on genre of music and language chosen. A group mark will be given
Reflective log1A80Individual written submission, reflecting on group translation process and final product (3000 words)
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Students on this module will work in groups. The groups will be assembled by the teaching staff. Each group will contain at least one Music Student and at least one Modern Languages student. In practice groups are expected to contain more than one of each type of student. Groups will also be arranged so that each group contains students studying as many different languages as possible, so as to discourage a predominance of a single language expertise in any one group.

The portfolios of singing translation will be done in common by each group, so that each group hands in one portfolio. The aim here is to reflect the collaborative nature of musical productions, and of translation in particular. Students will choose from a ‘menu’ of proposed selections of music, per language and per musical genre. For each language offered, portfolios will consist of:
- a certain number of pop songs or
- a certain number of minutes of choral music or
- a certain number of minutes of opera or
- a certain number of minutes of musical theatre.

The reflective commentary will be done by students individually, making observations and conclusions about the group’s work over the semester, and also their own contribution to it. As this accounts for most of the weight of assessment for the module, students who contribute more than others will not be penalised for the nature of the group they are in. Students’ own marks will also be able to be influenced by the amount of relevant theoretical material they include in their commentary.

Reading Lists

Timetable