What are you reading now?

[Sorrano]

I am reading a certain Beethoven forum.....

[Michael]

Or unhear it.
Sorry about that, Sorrano.

(Quick: what are you reading now?)

[Sorrano]

I find that I often pronounce the "v" in Tchaikovsky, as well. But then sometimes I don't'; I hadn't realized that I do this until seeing your post just now. Now that I've seen that I cannot unsee it.

[Michael]

This should be a thread of its own but one last query:

Am I the only one who pronouces the "v" in Tchaikovsky? Maybe I'm mishearing, but most radio announcers say "Tchai-kos-ky". Isn't it sometimes spelt "Tchaikowsky?" Or is it a mixture of the two?

(Just to keep the moderators happy: Q. What am I reading? A. I am still reading "Beowulf").

[Joy]

[QUOTE=Michael;50140]
Brilliant, Joy. So, how do you pronounce Vincent's surname without spitting in someone's eye?

I wish some composers' names would look like they sound. Take Ludvig van Baythoven, for example. Or Shoe-Bert. Or Vagner.

I turn the other way!


Or how about Sho-pan or Hi-din'?!


There are certainly are a lot of different ways you can pronounce words and every country puts a little spin on it. Here in America we are even divided within our own country like in the south they speak a little different than in the north. Here in Arizona people know I'm from Chicago and tell me I have an accent!

[Michael]

Brilliant, Joy. So, how do you pronounce Vincent's surname without spitting in someone's eye?

I wish some composers' names would look like they sound. Take Ludvig van Baythoven, for example. Or Shoe-Bert. Or Vagner.

Mozart is a special case, I think. A lot of British people don't pronounce the unseen "t", as far as I can remember.

And when I was in Bonn last year, I got talking to some Germans with very good english and they pronounced the name of our favourite composer as in beetroot (from which it is derived - beet garden). They also had the accent on the Beet whereas in Vienna they were inclined to put the stress on hove.

Sorry, I'd better let this thread get back on topic.

[Joy]

Right. I'm not being facetious now, but what is the correct pronunciation of Gogh. Is it "Go" "Gok" or "Goff"? I have heard all three and "Goff" is the one that I use but I think it's wrong.

You might get a kick out of this Michael

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLTQv8RH1TE

For what it's worth I pronounce it 'Go'! Maybe it's the American in me?!

[Michael]

Well Gogh doesn't really seem to work on its own!

Right. I'm not being facetious now, but what is the correct pronunciation of Gogh. Is it "Go" "Gok" or "Goff"? I have heard all three and "Goff" is the one that I use but I think it's wrong.

[Peter]

I have not seen the Van Gogh film you mention though may look into it. I read the letters of Van Gogh and his family (mostly Theo - of course) from time to time. I have seen two films about Van Gogh. One a movie and the other a documentary - I guess you would call it?

The first is called "Lust for Life" and the latter is titled "Vincent". The film Vincent is interesting because it has a talented voice actor (who actually would remind me of how Van Gogh sounded - I think, ) and he reads the letters of Van Gogh to Theo while showing paintings of Van Gogh's. The film Vincent is generally called an 'artistic film', I think.

Lust for Life is probably the best movie about Van Gogh, at least from what I have read. I enjoyed it not because it was accurate or perfect but because it was just interesting to watch. I thought it had some very interesting scenes.

Have you seen either of these?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049456/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094269/

I've seen the Kirk Douglas film - I'm sure there was another BBC production recently but I can't recall exactly. Interesting that Van Gogh's favourite plant wasn't actually Sunflowers at all - it was surprisingly Ivy!

[Peter]

I've always wondered why the "Van" is always present in referring to Van Gogh but not in the case of Beethoven. Van Gogh: so why not Van Beethoven?
And they both had ear problems.

Well Gogh doesn't really seem to work on its own!

[Michael]

I've always wondered why the "Van" is always present in referring to Van Gogh but not in the case of Beethoven. Van Gogh: so why not Van Beethoven?
And they both had ear problems.

[Preston]

Reading the letters of Van Gogh having just watched Waldemar Januszczack's excellent documentary - he also did a great programme on Toulouse Lautrec.

I have not seen the Van Gogh film you mention though may look into it. I read the letters of Van Gogh and his family (mostly Theo - of course) from time to time. I have seen two films about Van Gogh. One a movie and the other a documentary - I guess you would call it?

The first is called "Lust for Life" and the latter is titled "Vincent". The film Vincent is interesting because it has a talented voice actor (who actually would remind me of how Van Gogh sounded - I think, ) and he reads the letters of Van Gogh to Theo while showing paintings of Van Gogh's. The film Vincent is generally called an 'artistic film', I think.

Lust for Life is probably the best movie about Van Gogh, at least from what I have read. I enjoyed it not because it was accurate or perfect but because it was just interesting to watch. I thought it had some very interesting scenes.

Have you seen either of these?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049456/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094269/

[Peter]

Reading the letters of Van Gogh having just watched Waldemar Januszczack's excellent documentary - he also did a great programme on Toulouse Lautrec.

[Michael]

I am reading Seumus Heaney's translation of "Beowulf" at the moment, courtesy of my son who says I should improve my mind a bit more, and cut down on ghost and horror stories.
So, I am enjoying this ancient masterpiece about a group of people huddling in fear in their king's hall as a huge misshapen monster smashes down their door as a prelude to ripping them all asunder.

Makes a change from Stephen King.

[Michael]

So glad to hear that, Michael. Thanks for this posting as I too was under the immperssion that a lot of Beethoven's works were not (shall we say) appreciated during his lifetime.

Well,so far, the first chapter doesn't seem to bear out Wallace's claim. While the critics seemed to be aware of his genius, they didn't accept everything he turned out as a masterpiece. They were not afraid to question his work but they did give him more column space than the other composers.
Maybe by chapter two he'll be getting the respect he deserves. (I read this about fifteen years ago so I have forgotten most of it.)