version vs. rendition for musical performance/song
Saqib Ali
What’s your favorite "version" of the song Wheel in the sky?
OR
What’s your favorite "rendition" of the song Wheel in the sky?
Pat Durkin
news:1c975a06-bb6a-4af1...@x38g2000yqj.googlegroups.com
I would say that I would more likely use "version" in preference to
"rendition", but I don't sense much difference in meaning. "Version",
being a more common word, I might find that in a review I might find
myself using that word too often, and might want to vary the word
selection. (Other words to vary vocabulary with: production, effort,
latest work, newer issue, etc.)
A little variety adds spice, but some people (especially local sports
announcers) are embarrassingly self-conscious in varying verbs when
listing what team defeated what other team, so moderating the variations
is key.
tony cooper
To me, the two words mean different things. I'm a fan of traditional
folk music, and "version" and "rendition" have two different meanings.
One version may differ from another because different words may be
used. "Streets of Laredo", for example, because it's a version of
"The Unfortunate Rake". A "rendition" is one person's way of singing
or playing a song, but a one rendition is just slightly different from
someone else's in presenting the same words and tune.
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
Patok
> "Saqib Ali" <docbo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1c975a06-bb6a-4af1...@x38g2000yqj.googlegroups.com
>> Which is better:
>>
>> What’s your favorite "version" of the song Wheel in the sky?
>> OR
>> What’s your favorite "rendition" of the song Wheel in the sky?
>>
>> Saqib
>> http://doctrina.wordpress.com
>
> I would say that I would more likely use "version" in preference to
> "rendition", but I don't sense much difference in meaning. "Version",
> being a more common word, I might find that in a review I might find
> myself using that word too often, and might want to vary the word
> selection.
Strange. I had the distinct impression that the two words have
significantly different meanings. I would use "version" if the two
performances had different substance (changes in the text being the most
common case, one version being one verse shorter than the other, for
instance), and would use "rendition" if the text and main melody were
the same, but had different tempos/arrangements/back vocals.
Am I alone with this usage?
--
You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.
Patok
> On Fri, 9 Jan 2009 09:39:35 -0800 (PST), Saqib Ali
> <docbo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Which is better:
>>
>> What’s your favorite "version" of the song Wheel in the sky?
>> OR
>> What’s your favorite "rendition" of the song Wheel in the sky?
>>
>
> folk music, and "version" and "rendition" have two different meanings.
> One version may differ from another because different words may be
> used. "Streets of Laredo", for example, because it's a version of
> "The Unfortunate Rake". A "rendition" is one person's way of singing
> or playing a song, but a one rendition is just slightly different from
> someone else's in presenting the same words and tune.
Oh, cheers, Tony - you posted this while I was writing my reply. So
I'm not alone. :)
Saqib Ali
You bring up an interesting distinction between version and rendition,
which I have overlooked in the past.
To give some background, my question was related to a blog post titled
"What’s your favorite version of the Star-Spangled Banner?"[1]. So
according to your earlier clarification, since the words in Star-
Spangled Banner will always be same, "version" is the wrong word to
use. The Blog post author should have used "rendering" instead. Right?
1. http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2008/08/whats-your-favo.html
Thanks
Saqib
http://doctrina.wordpress.com
tony cooper
<docbo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Tony,
>
>You bring up an interesting distinction between version and rendition,
>which I have overlooked in the past.
>
>To give some background, my question was related to a blog post titled
>"What’s your favorite version of the Star-Spangled Banner?"[1]. So
>according to your earlier clarification, since the words in Star-
>Spangled Banner will always be same, "version" is the wrong word to
>use. The Blog post author should have used "rendering" instead. Right?
>
I don't open a lot of links, so I haven't read that blog. However, if
one person sings The Star Spangled Banner differently than other
people, they are offering a different rendition but not a different
version. A word more likely to used to describe the difference is
"arrangement". The arrangement can include some musical changes and
some lyric changes, but basically adheres to the original score.
>
>1. http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2008/08/whats-your-favo.html
>
>
>Thanks
>Saqib
>http://doctrina.wordpress.com
--
Cece
> On Fri, 9 Jan 2009 11:28:20 -0800 (PST), Saqib Ali
>
> >Tony,
>
> >You bring up an interesting distinction between version and rendition,
> >which I have overlooked in the past.
>
> >To give some background, my question was related to a blog post titled
> >"What’s your favorite version of the Star-Spangled Banner?"[1]. So
> >according to your earlier clarification, since the words in Star-
> >Spangled Banner will always be same, "version" is the wrong word to
> >use. The Blog post author should have used "rendering" instead. Right?
>
> I don't open a lot of links, so I haven't read that blog. However, if
> one person sings The Star Spangled Banner differently than other
> people, they are offering a different rendition but not a different
> version. A word more likely to used to describe the difference is
> "arrangement". The arrangement can include some musical changes and
> some lyric changes, but basically adheres to the original score.
>
>
>
Yep, I agree about "version" and "rendition" being different things.
The latest renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner from big-name
singers (many of whom can't really sing), the ones with the intrusive
high note or the strange warbles, hurt my ears.
