Brilliant Minds

On The Misanthrope

The New York Theatre Workshop is still running their production of The Misanthrope through November 11th. While critical opinions are divergent, take note that the translation is by Tony Harrison, one of the most talented and insightful poets and translators of drama at work.

The French version courtesy of Wikisource France.

A film about Moliere opened this July.

On Richard Wilbur

Poet Dana Gioia's article on Richard Wilbur, with a discussion of his verse translation.

On translating the Alexandrine

French drama excels in its use of the Alexandrine couplet, something that Moliere and Racine shared. William Packard's essay

"Translating Racine's Phedre"

discusses his experiences with the challenges of translating Alexandrine verse into English. These linguistic issues apply to Moliere as well.

Benjamin Bagby and Epic-Bardic performance

To get a sense of what an epic is like in performance, become familiar with the work of Benjamin Bagby.

While most recently known for his performances of Beowulf, he has also known success with Germanic and Icelandic works.

Of special interest after reading the Nibelungenlied, should be Bagby's version of The Rheingold Curse, where you can find and listen to the "Lay of Brynhild."

Nibelungen links & Translation issues

Here are a few interesting links related to the Nibelungenlied:

Manuscript C in fascimilie from a German website.

Needler Translation (1904) in English Rhymed Verse from Project Gutenberg.

Needler's commentary on English translations is also worth noting.

Nibelungenlied selections

You will probably find that this narrative progresses by continuously weaving together its various threads, blending action, characterization, and focusing on the relationships and customs of the main characters. Keep in mind the epic flavor, a combination of history, myth, and legend, as well as the specific role of vengeance in advancing the action.

We will focus our discussion of The Nibelungenlied on the following chapters (Penguin edition):

Chapters
1-3, 5-8, 10, 14-16, 19-20, 23, 25, 28-29, 33, 37, 39

For the first week's session, we will cover Chapters 1-19, and finish the following week with 20-39.

Misanthrope onstage

The New York Theatre Workshop is currently presenting a production of Moliere's Misanthrope.

Travels with Herodotus & Greenaway's Pillow Book

This book may of interest: Travels with Herodotus, by Ryszard Kapuscinski.

Also of possible interest is director Peter Greenaway's film, with a storyline related to Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book.