the ring of words; an anthology of song textsby philip l. miller
TRANSCRIPT
The Ring of Words; An Anthology of Song Texts by Philip L. MillerReview by: Jan LaRueNotes, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Summer, 1963), p. 474Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/895722 .
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effort. In support of this cause, the Meyer catalog will surely prove to be persuasive testimony.
DONALD W. KRUMMEL
The Ring of Words; An Anthology of Song Texts. The original texts selected and translated, with an in- troduction by Philip L. Miller. Gar- den City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., [1963]. [xx, 200 p., 8vo; $4.95]
Here is a book we have been needing for a long time: there is no comparable bibliographical tool. It should come as a particular blessing to harassed music reference librarians who must deal with monoglot singers. Prepared by one who has served on the firing line of the reference desk, this book bears the un- mistakable stamp of a professional li- brarian who has carefully planned his selection to meet the needs of the stand- ard repertory. The format also shows skillful planning in small but important ways: the running titles at the tops of the pages are handily keyed to the lan- guage of the texts rather than the names of the poets, a boon to those who must look things up quickly.
More than three hundred song texts are presented in double columns, the original on the left, the English transla- tion on the right. Where a composer has omitted verses or stanzas, Mr. Miller supplies the complete original; and in a number of cases in which the song text is already a translation itself, he prints the original poem. The poems come from German, French, Italian, Russian, Scan- dinavian, and Spanish sources, each translated sensitively and often ingeni- ously, line by line. Since these are literal rather than singing translations, the free- dom from strict rime and syllabification allows more finesse in choice of words. They gain in meaning and precision; and indirectly Mr. Miller drives home his point that songs should be sung in the original language with translations printed in the program. (Note, however, that the present translations are restricted by copyright!)
In the introduction Mr. Miller has con- tributed a thoughtful and smoothly writ- ten essay on the art song, lighted by
effort. In support of this cause, the Meyer catalog will surely prove to be persuasive testimony.
DONALD W. KRUMMEL
The Ring of Words; An Anthology of Song Texts. The original texts selected and translated, with an in- troduction by Philip L. Miller. Gar- den City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., [1963]. [xx, 200 p., 8vo; $4.95]
Here is a book we have been needing for a long time: there is no comparable bibliographical tool. It should come as a particular blessing to harassed music reference librarians who must deal with monoglot singers. Prepared by one who has served on the firing line of the reference desk, this book bears the un- mistakable stamp of a professional li- brarian who has carefully planned his selection to meet the needs of the stand- ard repertory. The format also shows skillful planning in small but important ways: the running titles at the tops of the pages are handily keyed to the lan- guage of the texts rather than the names of the poets, a boon to those who must look things up quickly.
More than three hundred song texts are presented in double columns, the original on the left, the English transla- tion on the right. Where a composer has omitted verses or stanzas, Mr. Miller supplies the complete original; and in a number of cases in which the song text is already a translation itself, he prints the original poem. The poems come from German, French, Italian, Russian, Scan- dinavian, and Spanish sources, each translated sensitively and often ingeni- ously, line by line. Since these are literal rather than singing translations, the free- dom from strict rime and syllabification allows more finesse in choice of words. They gain in meaning and precision; and indirectly Mr. Miller drives home his point that songs should be sung in the original language with translations printed in the program. (Note, however, that the present translations are restricted by copyright!)
In the introduction Mr. Miller has con- tributed a thoughtful and smoothly writ- ten essay on the art song, lighted by
effort. In support of this cause, the Meyer catalog will surely prove to be persuasive testimony.
DONALD W. KRUMMEL
The Ring of Words; An Anthology of Song Texts. The original texts selected and translated, with an in- troduction by Philip L. Miller. Gar- den City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., [1963]. [xx, 200 p., 8vo; $4.95]
Here is a book we have been needing for a long time: there is no comparable bibliographical tool. It should come as a particular blessing to harassed music reference librarians who must deal with monoglot singers. Prepared by one who has served on the firing line of the reference desk, this book bears the un- mistakable stamp of a professional li- brarian who has carefully planned his selection to meet the needs of the stand- ard repertory. The format also shows skillful planning in small but important ways: the running titles at the tops of the pages are handily keyed to the lan- guage of the texts rather than the names of the poets, a boon to those who must look things up quickly.
More than three hundred song texts are presented in double columns, the original on the left, the English transla- tion on the right. Where a composer has omitted verses or stanzas, Mr. Miller supplies the complete original; and in a number of cases in which the song text is already a translation itself, he prints the original poem. The poems come from German, French, Italian, Russian, Scan- dinavian, and Spanish sources, each translated sensitively and often ingeni- ously, line by line. Since these are literal rather than singing translations, the free- dom from strict rime and syllabification allows more finesse in choice of words. They gain in meaning and precision; and indirectly Mr. Miller drives home his point that songs should be sung in the original language with translations printed in the program. (Note, however, that the present translations are restricted by copyright!)
In the introduction Mr. Miller has con- tributed a thoughtful and smoothly writ- ten essay on the art song, lighted by
flashes of gentle humor: "Nowadays one does not take Frauenliebe too seriously because of the text-Cos' non fan tutte." Here he also explains that in cases "where strict literalness results in a sort of pidgin English, I have preferred to keep my translation readable" (page xx). He may be somewhat over-sensitive to pidgin: in Sonntag (Uhland, p. 109), for example, he translates the second line, "Mein feines Liebchen nicht gesehn" as "I haven't seen my sweetheart." For one who knows no German, the change in word order of the translation obscures the corresponding meanings of individual words, thereby losing a learning oppor- tunity. Would an inverted poetic order -such as "My sweetheart I've not seen" -be too pidginesque?
Mr. Miller gives a short biographical sketch of each poet, and underneath each song-text he evaluates various settings and notes aberrations from the original versions; some composers treated the texts with surprising freedom. At the end of the book we find the two indis- pensable indices, first a list of composers and then an index of titles and first lines, sensibly combined. This is an extremely useful and well-crafted book. And for a change, not overpriced.
JAN LARUE
The Piano Teacher's Companion. By Guy Maier. Compiled [from] his writings in the Etude Magazine by Lois Maier. New York: Mills Music, 1963. [110 p., illus., 4to; $9.00]
Guy Maier, for many years before his death in 1956, wrote a column of advice to piano teachers and students in Etude magazine. His commentaries and replies to specific questions reflected not only a vast experience as a performing artist and teacher (he was a pupil of Schna- bel; gave solo concerts and two-piano performances with Lee Pattison, taught at Juilliard and later at the University of California) but also a sense of humor and a warmth and sympathy for all aspir- ing musicians. Lois Maier selected and edited these writings and they are now available to all in the book here reviewed.
The book is divided into three sections: "The Technic, The Teacher, and the
flashes of gentle humor: "Nowadays one does not take Frauenliebe too seriously because of the text-Cos' non fan tutte." Here he also explains that in cases "where strict literalness results in a sort of pidgin English, I have preferred to keep my translation readable" (page xx). He may be somewhat over-sensitive to pidgin: in Sonntag (Uhland, p. 109), for example, he translates the second line, "Mein feines Liebchen nicht gesehn" as "I haven't seen my sweetheart." For one who knows no German, the change in word order of the translation obscures the corresponding meanings of individual words, thereby losing a learning oppor- tunity. Would an inverted poetic order -such as "My sweetheart I've not seen" -be too pidginesque?
Mr. Miller gives a short biographical sketch of each poet, and underneath each song-text he evaluates various settings and notes aberrations from the original versions; some composers treated the texts with surprising freedom. At the end of the book we find the two indis- pensable indices, first a list of composers and then an index of titles and first lines, sensibly combined. This is an extremely useful and well-crafted book. And for a change, not overpriced.
JAN LARUE
The Piano Teacher's Companion. By Guy Maier. Compiled [from] his writings in the Etude Magazine by Lois Maier. New York: Mills Music, 1963. [110 p., illus., 4to; $9.00]
Guy Maier, for many years before his death in 1956, wrote a column of advice to piano teachers and students in Etude magazine. His commentaries and replies to specific questions reflected not only a vast experience as a performing artist and teacher (he was a pupil of Schna- bel; gave solo concerts and two-piano performances with Lee Pattison, taught at Juilliard and later at the University of California) but also a sense of humor and a warmth and sympathy for all aspir- ing musicians. Lois Maier selected and edited these writings and they are now available to all in the book here reviewed.
The book is divided into three sections: "The Technic, The Teacher, and the
flashes of gentle humor: "Nowadays one does not take Frauenliebe too seriously because of the text-Cos' non fan tutte." Here he also explains that in cases "where strict literalness results in a sort of pidgin English, I have preferred to keep my translation readable" (page xx). He may be somewhat over-sensitive to pidgin: in Sonntag (Uhland, p. 109), for example, he translates the second line, "Mein feines Liebchen nicht gesehn" as "I haven't seen my sweetheart." For one who knows no German, the change in word order of the translation obscures the corresponding meanings of individual words, thereby losing a learning oppor- tunity. Would an inverted poetic order -such as "My sweetheart I've not seen" -be too pidginesque?
Mr. Miller gives a short biographical sketch of each poet, and underneath each song-text he evaluates various settings and notes aberrations from the original versions; some composers treated the texts with surprising freedom. At the end of the book we find the two indis- pensable indices, first a list of composers and then an index of titles and first lines, sensibly combined. This is an extremely useful and well-crafted book. And for a change, not overpriced.
JAN LARUE
The Piano Teacher's Companion. By Guy Maier. Compiled [from] his writings in the Etude Magazine by Lois Maier. New York: Mills Music, 1963. [110 p., illus., 4to; $9.00]
Guy Maier, for many years before his death in 1956, wrote a column of advice to piano teachers and students in Etude magazine. His commentaries and replies to specific questions reflected not only a vast experience as a performing artist and teacher (he was a pupil of Schna- bel; gave solo concerts and two-piano performances with Lee Pattison, taught at Juilliard and later at the University of California) but also a sense of humor and a warmth and sympathy for all aspir- ing musicians. Lois Maier selected and edited these writings and they are now available to all in the book here reviewed.
The book is divided into three sections: "The Technic, The Teacher, and the
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This content downloaded from 185.2.32.152 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 03:29:28 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions