In:Opera in Translation: Unity and diversity
Edited by Adriana Şerban and Kelly Kar Yue Chan
[Benjamins Translation Library 153] 2020
► pp. 219–241
The intertwined nature of music, language and culture in Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle
Published online: 29 October 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.153.11boz
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.153.11boz
Abstract
Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle is characterized by a unique approach to the
relationship between language and music: the latter endeavours to follow the natural flow of the Hungarian language,
making the interpretation of its multi-layered meaning easier for the Hungarian audience but nearly incomprehensible
for speakers of other languages. The nature of storytelling also follows ancient Hungarian traditions, rendering the
translator’s task even more challenging.
The paper investigates a number of contextual and musical aspects of opera translation through a
case study of five English translations of Bartók’s classic. It discusses the multiple layers where music, language
and culture are intertwined in this specific genre, and calls attention to often neglected musical and linguistic
aspects of opera translation.
Article outline
- 1.Bluebeard in a nutshell
- 2.The libretto
- 3.The music
- 4.Comparative analysis of the translations
- 5.Conclusion
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