[MLA-L] Mozart's "Difficile lectu": English translation?
Fairtile, Linda
Mozart's three-part canon "Difficile lectu mihi mars," K. 559? This
piece is available on the CD "Mozart Unexpurgated," which I just ordered
from Amazon, but a faculty member needs the translation TODAY. If
anyone has this CD, which hopefully has liner notes, could they perhaps
fax me a copy of the text?
Many thanks in advance,
Linda
--
Linda B. Fairtile, Ph.D.
Music Librarian
Parsons Music Library
Modlin Center for the Arts
University of Richmond, VA 23173
voice: 804 287-6849
fax: 804 287-6899
e-mail: lfai...@richmond.edu
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mark simon
>Does anyone happen to know where to find an English translation of
>Mozart's three-part canon "Difficile lectu mihi mars," K. 559? This
>piece is available on the CD "Mozart Unexpurgated," which I just ordered
>from Amazon, but a faculty member needs the translation TODAY. If
>anyone has this CD, which hopefully has liner notes, could they perhaps
>fax me a copy of the text?
>
>Many thanks in advance,
>
>Linda
I forget where I read this, but my understanding is that it means nothing.
The story is that Mozart wrote this canon for a social event which would be
attended by a certain singer who was known for singing with a lisp. The
idea was that this singer could not help but render the words "lectu mihi
mars" as "Leck du mich im Arsch", and everyone would get a jolly laugh out
of it at the singer's expense.
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Fairtile, Linda
Yes, I've read a similar story. But still, the Latin words must have
been translated somewhere?
Thanks!
Linda
--
Linda B. Fairtile, Ph.D.
Music Librarian
Parsons Music Library
Modlin Center for the Arts
University of Richmond, VA 23173
voice: 804 287-6849
fax: 804 287-6899
e-mail: lfai...@richmond.edu
Leonard J. Lehrman
performing his setting, K.539, of "Ein deutsches
Kriegslied" (A German War Song) on a text by Johann
Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, as part of a program this
coming Jan. 15 commemorating his birthday and that
of Dr. King.
My translation, which follows, is fairly literal.
The only liberty I took was changing Constantinople
to Mesopotamia. I daresay the work has rather
strong contemporary resonance, and I hope others
will perform it this year as well.
But could anyone out there enlighten us as to the
context in which it was originally written?
Much obliged - collegially -
Leonard J. Lehrman
"Ein deutsches Kriegslied" (A German War Song) by
W.A. Mozart, K. 539
Original German text: Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim
English Translation by Leonard Lehrman, Copyright 2006:
I'd like to be the Emperor! That would be fine!
Then ev'ry Muslim would adore me,
The Middle East tremble before me!
Mesopotamia would be mine!
I'd like to be the Emperor! That would be fine!
I'd like to be the Emperor! That would be fine!
I would bring back Athens and Sparta
And would revoke the Magna Carta
And ev'ryone would fall in line!
I'd like to be the Emperor! That would be fine!
I'd like to be the Emperor! That would be fine!
Then I'd give ev'rybody raises
And poets all would sing my praises!
The Golden Age again would shine!
I'd like to be the Emperor! That would be fine!
----- Original Message -----
From: mark simon <mg...@CORNELL.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:45 am
Subject: Re: [MLA-L] Mozart's "Difficile lectu":
English translation?
Steve Gerber
For me, 'Mars' is read with difficulty!
??? a semi-educated guess which would fit the circumstance described.
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"Often print was perceived as corrupting a text in three ways: it distorted the text itself, altered by the errors of incompetent typesetters; it destroyed the selfless ethos behind intellectual or aesthetic creation by handing the work of humanists, poets, or scholars over to greedy and dishonest booksellers; and it perverted the true significance of works by making them available to ignorant readers incapable of understanding them properly." (Roger Chartier, in afterword to MUSIC AND THE CULTURES OF PRINT, edited by Kate van Orden)
> wouldbe attended by a certain singer who was known for singing
> with a lisp.
> The idea was that this singer could not help but render the words
> "lectumihi mars" as "Leck du mich im Arsch", and everyone would
Fairtile, Linda
perform this number after all!
Thanks anyway to all who replied.
Linda
Perhaps...
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Richard Griscom
altogether. For those of you who are interested in learning more about
Mozart's canons upon lewd texts, I refer you to "Grace Notes," NOTES 47,
no. 4 (June 1991): 1326-28, which includes the text and music of K. 231,
233, and 234 with English translations by editor Michael Ochs.
Best,
Dick
<<Quoting mark simon on Wed, 11 Jan 2006 at 10:45>>
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Head, Otto E. Albrecht Music Library and fax 215/898-0559
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dr. Giuseppe Cattaneo
"Difficile lectu mihi Mars et jonico".
The 1st part has been yet "clarified". About the 2nd one: "jonico" is
referred to the "Jonico see" (the section of the Mediterranean see between
Italy and Greece), but if you sing
jonico-jonico-jonico you get "cojoni" (i.e. "balls" in "don't break my ...").
Giuseppe Cattaneo
Bergamo University - Italy
mark simon
>I believe the "Leck du mich im Arsch" (K. 231 [382c]) is another canon
>altogether. For those of you who are interested in learning more about
>Mozart's canons upon lewd texts, I refer you to "Grace Notes," NOTES 47,
>no. 4 (June 1991): 1326-28, which includes the text and music of K. 231,
>233, and 234 with English translations by editor Michael Ochs.
The phrase was a favorite of Mozart's. It also occurs in the canon "O du
eselhafter Martin" K. 560, as well as hidden in K. 559.