Speech Formation and Dramatic Art

GA 282 — 3 September 1924, Dornach

Speech Course for Participants in the Dramatic Course II

First exercise: Dialogue between a calm person and a nervous person. The calm person expresses their opinion in a more relaxed manner and will use sounds such as a, o, u, and au. The nervous person will be more agitated and heated and will prefer e and i.

The calm person: Did you see the pallor on his cheek and mouth?
The nervous person: I didn't notice anything on his face.
The calm person: You can only see what is obvious.
The nervous person: Don't take me away from myself.
The calm person: You are hardly growing strong enough.
The nervous person: That's exactly why I don't want this.

Explanations about umlauts. Brightening of the umlaut ä = Kraft—Kräfte, Macht—Mächte.

Through loud living, delve deeper into individual words and word meanings:

Weinen - Wein — feel that eurythmically
= Sch-wein
Night - Mahr — Mar-sch

E-exercise. Fastening oneself within oneself. Then i = two corresponding exercises, one main moment at the end (a), the other main moment in the middle (b).

Living beings step into essential life (a) I become truly resourceful in earthly life (b) In earthly life, I become truly resourceful

Interaction of i and e:

Do not underestimate the love instincts

An exercise in speaking expansively:

Wide, wise meadows across the land Living beings step into essential life

Feel how e has a consolidating effect; causes the nerve energy to enter into oneself; feel how one calms down in the process. Something approaches, one feels secure: the nerve stream grows stronger within one; therefore best suited for monologue: brooding within oneself.

I become truly resourceful in earthly life beings

i = from the inside to the outside. Convince the other, following the nervous energy outward; in contrast, toward e, here you feel the inward-going nervous energy of e.

I become truly resourceful in earthly life beings.

e = in the middle: first inward, then outward.

Do not underestimate the love instincts.

ie = condensation of the nerve force; let it flow freely, “not underestimate.”

Wide, wise meadows across the land

ei = Driving the nervous energy into the surrounding areas of the nerves, thereby bringing about consolidation, seeking support in other organs. Elevates us to harmonize the flow of speech. All this to strengthen the voice.

Final vowel exercises

a = open, let the breath out courageously
e = narrows
i = very pointed
o = work with lips begins
u — lips forming with effort

Babbling in the eastern storm

really letting the l make waves!

gä - nö - bü

Umlauts: often not clear enough.

— uff!

Help: naturally structured consonants to come out of your shell.

Transition to consonants

Mice measure my food

Clarity: every spoken sound is formed completely and fully. m, s = pronounce clearly and properly.

Lambs make a soft ringing sound.

Fluidity: the breath flows while speaking, so that words are not placed one after the other in a choppy manner. l = once you get used to l, you will gradually speak more fluently.

Stay well-behaved with honest farmers

Enveloping: unity, the sound round and full, not sharp, naked. Envelop the vowels with skin so that they are not exposed. Pronounce b well, feeling as if you are enclosing the sound in a shell.

Come, short, strong fellow.

Structure: Observe the sections of a sentence, which are determined by its structure and content. Do not talk incessantly like a waterfall. The listener must always be able to understand what is being said, which is achieved by pausing. k = pronounce clearly: requires pauses!

At the end of this lesson: If you immerse yourself in the formation of a consonant, how it is created, you can feel the spherical shape of d and the cubic shape of k. This can be made the subject of meditation.