[Catherine Chandler]

Originally Posted by Claudia Gary

Alex,


Those who understand and love classical art songs (such as the many composed by Schubert, Schumann, Beethoven, and Mozart) know that the music was generally, if not always, written based on the poem, and not the other way around.

Claudia

So, if I understand it correctly, English translations of classical art songs would be ineligible for the bake-off, since most of them (that I know of) such as Lieder and mélodies, were based on poems in the first place.

[Martin Rocek]

Cathy,
no, I do not think that is the intention. The translation should be singable to whatever music the original is being sung--Schubert, Schumann lieder, etc. are specifically meant to be included.

AZ,
great question--I am not a singer, so I will leave it to others to answer.

Martin

[Catherine Chandler]

Thanks, Martin. That opens it up considerably, what with Baudelaire, Verlaine, Hugo, Lamartine, Gauthier, etc. etc.

[Martin Rocek]

For your amusement, let me point out that not all "original" settings have particularly fortuitous phrasing--in Handel's Messiah, it sounds very much as if we sheep-lovers have gone astray: https://youtu.be/LmeyG5LlFWU or https://youtu.be/ixmNZQH0NjU for a slightly faster version with nice pictures