The Art of Speech presents a dynamic path of practice leading to an
experience of the Word as a living, healing and creative power. Helping
to deliver Western intellectual speech from what Artaud described as
"shrivelled throats" and "monstrous talking abstractions", Langman
brings to life the spiritual realities out of which a true Art of Speech
arises. Inspired by Rudolf Steiner and pioneered initially in the German
language by Marie Steiner, this artform is illuminated here through the
genius of the English language.
Langman builds a bridge between mainstream research into the intrinsic
nature of Speech, and the levels of spiritual cognition that led to
Rudolf Steiner's insights. Speech and language can no longer be reduced
to an arbitrary collection of abstract symbols, she asserts. This book
will inspire those working with these disciplines as practitioners (both
artistic and therapeutic) as well as those who wish to understand their
significance in human evolution, both past and future.
Following her first book The Art of Acting, this volume completes a
foundation of understanding for an exploration - in the conclusion of
Langman's trilogy - of an integrated art of speech and acting. Grounded
in the spiritual reality of the human being, Langman presents a
systematic methodology with which to explore Rudolf Steiner's Speech and
Drama course.
C O N T E N T S:
Introduction
The Context
Scope of the Book
Spoken and Written English
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Steiner's Speech Exercises
Esoteric Foundations
Terms of Reference
The Practice
1. Our Divine Teachers
2. The Breath of Life
3. Where Does Speech Come From?
4. I Am the Lord of the Dance
5. Speech and the Etheric
6. Epic, Lyric, and Dramatic Styles
7. Goddess Most Rare: Approaching Grammar
8. On the English Language
Appendices
Steiner, Hopkins, and the Evolution of Consciousness
Reading List
Tranings in English Speech Formation
Therapeutic Applications of Speech Formation
Alternative English Renderings of Steiner's Speech Exercises
