I have been studying German and Latin at school and this profound connection is starting to reveal itself to me.
Let me start by saying that the connection makes more sense the farther back you go in the history of the way language was used. Before we had film (and with it 'method acting' ), actors couldnt rely on bodily subtlety. Speech was the primary conduit of expression, and with it the artistry of nuance. As a result the actors had to make the most of this to be convincing. This means that the finest of nuances in speech mattered a lot more to the artistry of acting. Far more attention was payed to the 'rhythm', 'tone' and 'volume' of speech. Does this sound like music? If music is 'organized sound' then this surely is close to what we traditionally think of as 'music'. Not only in the performing arts did speaking delivery matter more, but in everyday life.
My teacher and my Father (who studied Latin) both tell me that Latin wasnt spoken in the harsh, unfluid way most languages are now spoken. People actually spoke in an almost chantlike manner, there was an almost musical quality to the way you were supposed to emphasize vowels and carry some words into others. Latin students often complain about the declensions and conjugations they must memorize. However this enables beautiful unity between every word in a sentence. Partially in its written form, and completely in its pronunciation. If you take a sentence like "Vetam narramus Quinti Horati Flacci" you will notice how smooth this sentence flows, due highly to the last three words all having the exact same ending. Not only this but when spoken the words flow into eachother if one ends in a consonant and the next a vowel. In hearing the language it is difficult to seperate words into distinctive 'words' because of this tendancy. But it makes speech extremely fluid. The spoken word is pleasing to the ear, the sounds are a value in and of itself. This is because the language is so consciously tied to speech.
Well I guess the point is that my attempt to cultivate a beautiful accent in a foreign tongue feels similar to the same attempt at an instrument. I took language for granted, and only through the process of learning another one have I noticed everything amazing that it requires to function. I have more to say, but not the time....
[This message has been edited by Beyond Within (edited 09-15-2004).]
Let me start by saying that the connection makes more sense the farther back you go in the history of the way language was used. Before we had film (and with it 'method acting' ), actors couldnt rely on bodily subtlety. Speech was the primary conduit of expression, and with it the artistry of nuance. As a result the actors had to make the most of this to be convincing. This means that the finest of nuances in speech mattered a lot more to the artistry of acting. Far more attention was payed to the 'rhythm', 'tone' and 'volume' of speech. Does this sound like music? If music is 'organized sound' then this surely is close to what we traditionally think of as 'music'. Not only in the performing arts did speaking delivery matter more, but in everyday life.
My teacher and my Father (who studied Latin) both tell me that Latin wasnt spoken in the harsh, unfluid way most languages are now spoken. People actually spoke in an almost chantlike manner, there was an almost musical quality to the way you were supposed to emphasize vowels and carry some words into others. Latin students often complain about the declensions and conjugations they must memorize. However this enables beautiful unity between every word in a sentence. Partially in its written form, and completely in its pronunciation. If you take a sentence like "Vetam narramus Quinti Horati Flacci" you will notice how smooth this sentence flows, due highly to the last three words all having the exact same ending. Not only this but when spoken the words flow into eachother if one ends in a consonant and the next a vowel. In hearing the language it is difficult to seperate words into distinctive 'words' because of this tendancy. But it makes speech extremely fluid. The spoken word is pleasing to the ear, the sounds are a value in and of itself. This is because the language is so consciously tied to speech.
Well I guess the point is that my attempt to cultivate a beautiful accent in a foreign tongue feels similar to the same attempt at an instrument. I took language for granted, and only through the process of learning another one have I noticed everything amazing that it requires to function. I have more to say, but not the time....
[This message has been edited by Beyond Within (edited 09-15-2004).]
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