Re: Euphonium Excerpt Survey


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Posted by K on March 22, 2004 at 17:26:07:

In Reply to: Euphonium Excerpt Survey posted by Dennis AsKew on March 22, 2004 at 11:13:34:

Hi Dennis!

I cannot help out on your survey, but one thing made me frown, when I read your list. Not that the practice in question is also followed many other places.

# 49 on your list is Einzugsmarsch by John Halversen / L.P. Laurendeau

Laurendeau apparently is the arranger.

But Johan Halvorsen was a Norwegian, and as his name uses none of the specific Norwegian/Danish/Swedish letters in his name, there is no reason not to use the proper spelling.

The title under which the work in question is known here is "Bojarernes indtogsmarch", which in English would be something like "The Entry March of the Bojars". Bojar is the title of a Russian nobleman like those on the court of the tsars. A musical reference would be "Boris Godunov" (with a common English pronunciation being Boris Good-enough).

Using a German title for a Norwegian composition is nonsense outside of the German speaking countries.

The reason I protest is a practice which often reveals the lack of general culture in band circles. In the Danish brass band movement we of course play a lot of British arrangements, which is all OK.

But it is not OK to print a Danish programme announcing an item like this:

Edvard Grieg: Spring

Of course "Spring" is the title printed on the British arrangement, but that beautiful romantic piece is very well known in my country by its original Norwegian title: Våren. (This will come up oddly on most screens outside Scandinavia, so the British typesetters are very much excused for using a translation with letters available to them).

My point is, and sorry Dennis for you being the one triggering one of my phobias:

If you cannot use the original title of a piece, then use a translation into your own language. Presenting a title in an irrelevant third language is cultural pollution.

Klaus


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