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In:Key Cultural Texts in Translation
Edited by Kirsten Malmkjær, Adriana Şerban and Fransiska Louwagie
[Benjamins Translation Library 140] 2018
► pp. 257–274

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Chapter 15
Construction of a cultural narrative through translation

Texts on Sibelius and his works as Key Cultural Texts

Published online: 16 May 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.140.15rau
Abstract
This article explores those Finnish-language translations published between 1916 and 1965 that attest to the various conceptualisations of Sibelius, i.e., the Sibelius narrative. The status of these texts as translations is placed under scrutiny. To explain how the translations reflected Finland’s aspirations to be concurrently internationally recognised and markedly Finnish, the texts are categorised based on the relationship of the source text and the translation. Examination of the translations suggests differing motivations for translating the texts and contextualises the development of the Sibelius narrative. The texts and their translations, as historically representative depictions and shapers of the Sibelius narrative, are deemed culturally key for understanding the role of Sibelius for the Finnish cultural life, and music culture in particular.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The socio-political context in early 20th-century Finland
  • 3.Sibelius as a Finnish narrative
  • 4.Sibelius-related translations into Finnish as Key Cultural Texts
    • 4.1Between Furuhjelm and Jean
    • 4.2Cecil Gray and Jussi Jalas: Sibeliuksen sinfoniat
    • 4.3Harold E. Johnson: Jean Sibelius
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (28)
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Schweitzer, Benjamin
2024. Repetition and variation in a Finnish music-related discourse: A case study. Open Linguistics 10:1 DOI logo

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