UK vs. US

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 170888

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "montavilla47"
<montavilla47 at ...> wrote:
>
> > > Ken wrote:
> > Would you defend this practice if it were common, for example, to
> > Americanize Bach's works with notes and chords and rhythms that
> > sounded more familiar to American ears? The very notion is hideous. I
> > find it just at bad that written language is subjected to this
> > treatment. 
> 
> Montavilla47
> Well, I don't tend to mind if they translate the German words
> to American English when they sing it.  
> 

Ken:

Even there I'd rather hear the German songs in German, the Latin in
Latin. Those of the Islamic faith say that you cannot appreciate the
poetic artistry of the Koran unless you read it in Arabic. I find
music to be the same, the sonic artistry the composer put into the
lyrics depends on the language they were written in. Changing the
language loses something. I don't mind having a program with the
English translations and I would suggest to Scholastic and all the
others that this is the model they should follow. If they feel that
British words need explaining to an American audience, put them in
footnotes! Maybe that's unusual in children's books, maybe it
shouldn't be. Let me hear what the author wrote.

"Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming" is a fine, fine Christmas Carol. But
when Music of the Baroque sing "Es ist ein Ros ent­sprung­en" as one
of the two traditional encores at their annual Christmas concert the
German lyrics take it to another level. It gives me goosebumps just
sitting here remembering it. Of course the Messiah does too and I
cannot imagine that it would be improved by singing it in German.

I don't know that every word Rowling writes is as finely crafted as
all that. I only know that Reader, not Publisher's Policy, should have
the opportunity to make that call.

Ken