Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Serial_Apologist]

Me too, but the Ancient Academy of French saith:

"On ne peut que déplorer que l'usage des accents sur les majuscules soit flottant. On observe dans les textes manuscrits une tendance certaine à l'omission des accents. En typographie, parfois, certains suppriment tous les accents sur les capitales sous prétexte de modernisme, en fait pour réduire les frais de composition.

Il convient cependant d'observer qu'en français, l'accent a pleine valeur orthographique. Son absence ralentit la lecture, fait hésiter sur la prononciation, et peut même induire en erreur. Il en va de même pour le tréma et la cédille."

De la bouche du cheval.

Perhaps with the later invention of low bridges, they became afraid of the accents on capitals getting knocked off!

[LMcD]

If they did fall into the capital river they would certainly be regarded as inseine.

[Ein Heldenleben]

The one bit of French I never want to hear again is " Au fond du temple saint " currently being played ..please can't we for once have something else from this pearl of an opera .....?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Or as Ian Skelly has just translated it - " at the back of the temple " - not very romantic ...

[french frank]

" Au fond du temple saint " currently being played

Really? One of Classic FM's favourite operas (full title 'The Pearl Fishers' (incl Duet).

Or as Ian Skelly has just translated it - " at the back of the temple " - not very romantic ...

Schoolboy French? One word in French = one word in English.

[Ein Heldenleben]

No problem with the opera but the constant repetition of this aria and its removal from context tarnishes it in some way - I don't want a string of pop classics.
You can't sing it but wouldn't "in the depths of the holy temple " be more accurate and correct in tone? Isn't this is an example of where the French is more concise ? .....usually it's the other way round.

[french frank]

No problem with the opera but the constant repetition of this aria and its removal from context tarnishes it in some way - I don't want a string of pop classics.

Classic FM has problems with the opera, though: they only play that duet.

You can't sing it but wouldn't "in the depths of the holy temple " be more accurate and correct in tone?

I think so. You could sing 'Deep in the holy temple' - just - but the stresses wouldn't work. What is the English version? "In th'holy temple deep" would work

[Ein Heldenleben]

It would be poetically permissible to cut the 'the ' to leave " In Holy Temple deep" . I can't find an English singing libretto online tho' there are translations . There is a Chandos English version which no doubt some forumite owns ....it's not on Spotify.

[antongould]

Really? One of Classic FM's favourite operas (full title 'The Pearl Fishers' (incl Duet).



Schoolboy French? One word in French = one word in English.

There is more than a touch of the schoolboy in Skellers .......

[french frank]

There is more than a touch of the schoolboy in Skellers .......

Thank goodness.

[oddoneout]

He mentioned in passing something which I had been reminded of when listening to 'Where corals lie', namely the extent to which a particular performer comes to define a work for a listener. I have heard other singers in the Sea Pictures,and quite enjoyed some of them, but for me it is still Janet Baker who 'is' that work. As a one-off or very limited situation I don't suppose it matters, but it set me thinking about whether there are those whose listening experience could be unduly limited by extending that approach too far. There are times when the HIPP world seems to me to be in danger of that.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

How do you mean, odd1?

[antongould]

Thank goodness.

Indeed but he shows signs of enjoying the format perhaps a little too much - how long, I wonder, until we have SAGAS - Skellers' Auld Girls And Sirs ..... ?????

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[vinteuil]

"Rack and ruin", surely?

.

Wrack and ruin.

The OED has many interesting columns under 'wrack', well worth a read.



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