DANTE'S  THE DIVINE COMEDY

I am exploring this Poem created in the early Fourteenth Century by Dante Alighieri describing his  imaginary journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.

I would appreciate hearing via my e-mail - robinlivingspeech@gmail.com - from anyone about their experiences exploring this Work.

Thank you,

Robin

The Consonant T

The sound of this consonant, particularly when formed consciously, is so helpful to hear. It provides firmness and clarity.

It is an "impact" sound where the end is definite. Examples covered on this Blog so far are b, c, d, g, k, m, n, p.

Words pronounced without the t sound being formed become particularly unclear and their meaning lost. A simple example is the word "bat", meanings of which can either be a bat with which to strike a ball, or a type of bird that only flies at dusk. Without sounding the consonant t the three letters "bat" have a very different sound and meaning.

The t sound can be either very marked and obvious, as in bat or formed in combination with another consonant, as in "strike", or combined with another consonant in a 'masked' way, examples being "thud, think, thank, the."

The plight (there is a prominent marked t at the end of this word) is where it needs to be a strong marked sound and it is not formed at all. The resulting 'gap' is confusing. To experience this experiment with the word "water". Without the t sound the sound can only come from the letters "wa er" - even my computer will not allow me to type these four letters!

This change in word sound is not like leaving the t off "bat", leaving "ba ba black sheep" for the sounds from the consonants and vowels "waer" have no meaning in the English Language. This
example highlights the importance, necessity of consciously making the t sound.


Why, therefore, do people not make the sound or not make it sufficiently strong? Often they do not realise they are not making. It is a sensitive thing to say to someone they are not pronouncing their consonants. A missing sound may simply through laziness.

On the positive side of things how can we practically get the best out of our t's. Take words like "letter" and "matter"  and mix them with words that either do not have or do not have many t's then speak these mixtures of words, consciously drawing out and forming the full extent of the t sound.

An example of a set of words embracing "letter" and "matter" are "The letter was very matter of fact."
Say the sentence consciously forming the t sounds. Then say it consciously Not forming the t sounds.
Then say it again - forming them consciously.

Experience the contrast. Do this with someone listening to you and ask them to describe to you how they experience the difference.

Use sentences and phrases like this to exercise speaking this particular consonantal sound. Feel exactly where in the mouth you are consciously forming the t sound. Visualise this happening. Listen to yourself, your body and your mouth when you are forming this sound, particularly when you experience it being formed firmly and creatively. Look into a mirror and see the sound being formed by your mouth and also your whole body. Feel the importance and value of standing, sitting upright when forming this sound. In eurythmy, the art form of visible speech, your arms rise above the head, with the points of fingers descending to touch the top of the head in the middle.

Enjoy being heard clearly and imaginatively when you speak - consciously living this consonant.

T is like a key, a lever, a gateway to beautiful, rich sounding words - living speech.

Please tell me your experiences and through the Blog share these with others

The Exploring Goethe's Fairy Tale Workshop in London.

We entered into being many of the characters, really felt who they were and their relationships with each other.

In return, the characters found us at our particular points in our lives, providing insights from the past present and the future.

It was a great joy and experience to be there! A short while later I took this experience with me to an annual speech conference in Switzerland.

I am very grateful to those who came.

The next Post will be on the consonant T.

Robin

THE FINAL TWO INSTALMENTS of THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

Particularly for the benefit of those coming to the two day workshop on the Fairy Tale in London on the 6th and 7th of October at 35 Baker Street, between 10.30am and 4.30pm, here are the final two instalments.

The characters finally find, anew, with surprise, great joy and happiness their selves and their community.

If you would like to attend this workshop simply e-mail me on robinlivingspeech@gmail.com  
An earlier Post gives detailed information about the workshop. All are most welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



THIS IS THE SIXTEENTH INSTALMENT of THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

In this Instalment the Youth regains fully his consciousness.

 

 



We have now arrived at the Consonant S

This sound is an "air" sound - a breath sound. It is created through holding the tongue fast against the lower teeth, to first "voice" the sound and then blow breath. As with all sounds, particularly air sounds, a conscious intake of breath is taken in preparation.

A visual image of the S sound can be the forming of a vertical wavy line through extended arms and hands in front of ourselves.

In Goethe's classic Fairy Tale The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily the character of the Green Snake has an earthly bridging quality. The same can be said of the consonant S in terms of the speech sound. This Blog contains readings of this Fairy Tale.

The S can either be a single sound or with the consonant h a combined sound, another air sound. Respective examples are in the words "sit" and "shore" - as in land adjacent to the sea. The picture-image of "sit" is an immediate physical activity while the picture image of the word "shore" adjacent to a sea should create imagination of a length of land needing, encouraging a corresponding length in the sound S.

A good way to experience sounds is through practising exercises and creating short texts and phrases to enhance our agility and creativity in forming speech. The following exercises can help practise forming short and long speech sounds. For shorter sounds - Curtsey Betsy jets cleric lastly light skeptic Curtsey cressets Betsy jets cleric lastly plotless light sceptic. For longer sounds - See silvery sails on fleecy waves. The words in these exercises have no meaning. They are vehicles to exercises consonantal and vowel sounds. They were created by Dr Rudolf Steiner.

An example of phrases, a text, to experiment forming the single s and combined sh sounds is:

Heights of Scafell Pike and Striding Edge in mid-day Sun,
Irish Sea shimmering,
white wispy cirrus clouds, sitting high in the sky,
foretelling showers to come.

For the purpose of having picture-images from which to speak Scafell Pike, at nearly 1000 metres, is the highest mountain in England. Striding Edge forms a scramble to the top of Helvellyn another mountain, in the same area. We love walking the hills!

In this descriptive text the consonant S is central to: forming the names of mountains and ridges - Scafell Pike and Striding Edge; the name of the adjacent sea - Irish Sea; the movement of  "shimmering"; plural and colouring of "white wisps of cirrus clouds"; enabling sufficient length of the "sh" sound to help shape the images for "foretelling showers to come" - the sound S having, as described earlier, a real bridging quality.

I have created a sound recording to go with this post encompassing the above which will become attached to this Post shortly.

I wish you well with experimenting with this sound. Please tell me and others who visit this Blog how you get on.



THIS IS THE FIFTEENTH INSTALMENT of THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY.

In this instalment a Temple with an Altar rises from out of the depths of the River to the astonishment of all present - for "The time is at hand."



                TWO DAY WORKSHOP IN LONDON - 6 and 7 October 2015 
                                                    
                                                          EXPLORING 

GOETHE'S FAIRY TALE - THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY


I will lead a workshop over the above two days to continue exploring this Tale by Goethe.

Please come and help this exploration by being the characters and speaking what they say.

I have created 15 Playlets from the text to enable us to be the characters interacting with each other in short scenes. Doing this has enabled participants in previous workshops experience what it is like to be the characters Goethe imagined and through this a sense of what the Tale can mean for our modern everyday lives.

I have arranged two consecutive days for this workshop to meet requests to enhance the depth of exploration. The workshop will take place at Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London NW1 6HT between 10.30 am and 4.30 pm each day. The nearest London underground tube station is Baker Street.

If you like stories and poetry, exploring and understanding their meaning, getting in touch with your voice you will enjoy this. Everyone is most welcome.

In workshops I describe the characters and invite those attending to choose one or two to explore. I bring props and beautiful colour paintings to help portray the characters and the scenes.

Previous knowledge of the Tale is not necessary. The translation used is by Thomas Carlyle. It is available on the net. There are recordings of instalments spoken by myself available on this Blog. No booking is necessary. The workshop is free. A small contribution towards the cost of the room would be appreciated.

Previous participants have said how they appreciated the opportunity to explore, imagine and live the characters, this activity giving the occasions a "living quality." One participant said, "The occasion was a fountain of inspiration that never ceases to yield fruit."

I offer short talks in which I introduce the story, context in which it was written, key characters, what they say and essence of commentaries upon the work.

The Tale was written by Goethe in 1795 at a time when there was much civil unrest in Europe. It was his artistic response to academic essays by Frederich Schiller about the dilemma facing those who were endeavouring to rebuild just, fair societies.

For further information or to tell me you would like to come please contact me via    robinlivingspeech@gmail.com  

We have now arrived at the Consonant r

R is a powerful vibrating sound. As with the consonant L it has the character of a vowel sound.

R is traditionally recognised as an "air sound" capable of originating from all positions in the mouth - being dependent upon availability of sufficient breath to create the sound we intend. The varying positions of the root of this consonantal sound renders it unique. It has the potential for being "rolled" as a sound which can also be heard as purring, except when originating from the area of the teeth.

Cecil Harwood in his Essay "Eurythmy and the Word" published in the 25th Issue (1973) of The Golden Blade describes the r sound "like a wheel rolling uncontrollably down a hill" with the energy, power and force associated with that image. He asserts r sounds "should be rolled as the Scots roll them."

Experience speaking words where the r has a central role. Examples are "breathing" and "freedom." In both words the r drives the rest of the word, vowels and consonants, in a formidable way. Cecil Harwood cautions against allowing r sounds to disappear into following vowel sounds.

A good example of the value of not allowing this to happen, in either English or German, is in the repeated phrase "Rest well, rest well." - "Ruht wohl, ruht wohl." in a chorus at the end of Bach's St John Passion. Here the r sound needs to be both independent of the following vowel and of sufficient length to portray, vividly, the final act of resting. 

Choose a sentence containing a number of r's. Identify within the sentence an r where expression of the meaning of the word is helped by the r sound being long in length. Also identify an r where expression of the meaning of the word is helped by the r sound being short in length.

For example, "Rain fell abruptly." The first r needs to be of sufficient length to help the listener receive the picture, imagination, of heavy wet rain, which it will be, if it fell "abruptly." In contrast, the length of the r sound in the word abruptly has to be short for the listener to receive the picture, image, of rain falling suddenly. As with all consonants and vowels, consciously identifying the picture image we are seeking to present ensures our making the most appropriate sound.

The r sound lends itself to being formed consciously because it can: be created from different places in the mouth; require a lot of breath; be long or short in length; be very prominent or hidden.

Dr Rudolf Steiner created general speech exercises to help sounds enter into the consciousness of a speaker to encourage feeling into and general articulation of a sound. One is as follows:

Rateless ration

roosted roomily

reason wretched

ruined Roland

royalty roster.

As before with these exercises the way the words, consonants and vowels are assembled are not intended to have any meaning. The words, consonants and vowels are placed together to meet the purpose of the exercise.

Recite these lines many times. Experience being conscious of all the vowels and consonants, in particular the r, for it's ability to be both long and short in length and it's rolling quality.

The "sister" art to speech formation, eurythmy - visible speech - has a movement to represent r where from outstretched arms in front of us the hands move forward in a slight up and down wavering motion.

Look and listen to how others form the r sounds and the nature of their impact. Experiment yourself and listen to how you feel towards your own different renderings of r.

Feel the energy, the power, the force, your conscious use of breath, accompanying gestures and physical movements, when embracing the characteristic of this consonant to help create - living speech.

Please tell me and others through this Blog how you get on.

Here is a recording of my speaking this sound, sentence example, "Rest well" Phrase and Exercise.

Good luck!

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploration of Goethe's Epic Tale "The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily"

Would you please help and share in my continuing exploration of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's incredibly imaginative and creative story The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily.

If you like stories and poetry, exploring and understanding their meaning, getting in touch with your voice and enjoying the sounds of words, you would enjoy this. The story helps us make sense of opportunities and dilemmas in life.

It was written by Goethe in 1795 at a time when there was civil unrest in Europe. It has a wealth of very creative prose about characters and the imaginative world in which they live. The story is Goethe's artistic response to challenges for individuals who endeavour to create better, more just societies.

I have posted instalments of my reading this Tale on this Blog - 14 so far - with 4 more to come. I use the translation by Thomas Carlyle. The complete text can be found on the Net.

I am experiencing the best way to explore this work is with others, collectively, to be the characters, speak their speeches, following how they develop in courage, integrity and skill as the story unfolds.

To encourage others to join me in this exploration I offer free workshops and talks. In the workshops I describe the characters and invite participants to choose one or two to explore by putting themselves in their position in the story. I have divided the story into short scenes. These help experience being a character, interacting with others, for a short while. I bring props and colour paintings to help portray the characters and scenes.

Workshop participants have said how they appreciate the rare opportunity to explore, imagine and live the characters in this Tale and that this gives the occasions a "living quality." One participant said, "The occasion was a fountain of inspiration that never ceases to yield fruit."

Giving short Talks I introduce the story, context in which it was written, key characters, what they say and essence of commentaries upon the work. Knowledge of the Tale is not necessary.

I carry learning from these workshops and talks into future events to help build collective insights into this incredible piece of world literature. 

To inquire further, ask for a workshop or talk, please e-mail me on robinlivingspeech@gmail.com

Thank you for helping.

Robin Blackmore    

THIS IS THE FOURTEENTH INSTALMENT of THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

In this reading we learn how the unconscious youth is cared for so ingeniously by the community around him.

The story begins to move into its final stages.

 

 

 



CELEBRATING 220th ANNIVERSARY of PUBLICATION of THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

Thirteen Posts on this Blog have been devoted to my reading instalments of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's masterful Fairy Tale - The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily. The current thirteenth reading, is two-thirds of the way through the story. These readings, alternating with descriptions and recordings for each consonant of the English Alphabet, will be completed by Autumn 2015.

In London in the Autumn I am offering two consecutive and linked Workshops exploring the characters in the Tale and their speeches.

This piece of world literature is a beautiful, meaningful story in which the characters weave together how collectively they make their society a wonderful place in which to live.

It was written by Goethe at the time of the French Revolution in response to letters from a German playwright Frederick Schiller who was concerned about how society would re-build itself.

In the Workshops I introduce the characters and enable everyone to explore the ones they become most interested in. Through fifteen Playlets I have created we experience being the characters and what they say.

Through this we can link the characters to everyday life. For example, when I was a Gamesmaker at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012 I could liken the athletes as the Beautiful Lily, the spectators as the Youth Prince, who wanted to be with the Lily and the gamesmakers as the green Snake who became one of the "bridges" between the two 'meeting' at all the many locations for the sporting events.

Everyone is most welcome to these Workshops. They will take place at Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London NW1 6XT. The nearest London tube station is Baker Street. The Workshops will start at 10.30am and finish at 4.30pm each day. A small contribution towards the cost of hiring the room we use would be appreciated. I will publish the dates of the two Workshops on this Blog in the Spring.

You do not need to know the Fairy Tale. Just come and find out about it. Let me know by e-mail  robinlivingspeech@gmail.com if you want to come or would like more information.

I look forward to seeing you.

Robin

We have now arrived at the English Consonant Q, shown in lower case as q.

This is a particularly critical sound. Imagine trying to speak the words "question" or "quiet" without this consonant. It has an inherent artistic quality which requires the whole mouth, air being channelled through it, to deliver the sound q.

This consonant is always followed by the vowel u and at least one other vowel. In addition to "question and "quiet" other examples are "quality", "quota", "squash", "racquet".

When together with q, the vowel u helps create the combined sound of kw.

Some words appear specifically designed to capitalise upon the characteristic and quality of q.
An example is the Scottish word for a shallow two-handled drinking cup or bowl - a "quaich". It derives from the Scottish Gaelic word "cauch". Quaich has further vowels of a and i. This word is a good example where pronouncing three vowels adjacent to each other requires a particularly flexible use of the mouth.

Try speaking this word. Phonetically it sounds like "qwaych". Experience: how the q drives the sounds that follow; how the sounds from "way" require the mouth to open wide and let the air exhale; how the "ch" sound is formed using the remaining air. The sound "ch" is the same as how ch in the word "loch" (a stretch of Scottish water) is pronounced. The h in the combined letters of ch has the sound of a soft, almost muted, k.  

Create a phrase or sentence that requires frequent use of words with qu in them. Here is my example:

Inadequate questions, queries, quibbles like these are quarrelsome and quadruple the quagmire and quandary I find myself in.

I have placed the words that contain qu in order of their presenting additional vowels from the least to the most opening of the lips - ah, eh, ee, oh, oo 

The high ratio of vowels to consonants in the words in this sentence containing qu, together with the these words being adjacent or close to each other, exercise flexibility, clarity and preciseness in forming sounds. Enjoy creating your own sentence or phrase.

In the attached recording I explore the sound of qu, speak the above sentence and experiment with its "tongue-twisting" nature.



Please share sentences you create and experiences from speaking them via  robinlivingspeech@gmail.com and Twitter robinblackmore2

Good luck.