Feb. 19th, 2013 10:14 pm
Wie duftet doch der Flieder?
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muckefuckOn a linguistic note: Between acts and after the opera, there was some discussion of the proper translation of Flieder in Wagner's libretto. The word is old--so old that the first element is obscure, though the -der is considered cognate with English tree. Originally it designated the elder (Sambucus nigra). But in the mid-16th century, the common lilac[*] (Syringa vulgaris) was introduced to Central Europe, probably via a Hapsburg ambassador to the Ottomans of Flemish origin.
On account of the similarities between the species, the name Flieder became applied to both, albeit with some qualifier for the upstart such as "Spanish", "Turkish", or welscher. (Nothing to do with Wales; this was an adjective applied indiscriminately by the mediaeval Germans to all non-Germanic, non-Slavic peoples they came into contact with.) The standard language has dispensed with this, taking advantage of its ability to borrow from multiple dialects by reserving the synonymous Holunder (formerly subject to the same ambiguity) for elders.
The mid-16th century also happens to be the time the opera is set. So I think two facts speak against a lilac: First, that seems a bit soon for the trees to have made it out of the gardens of the rich and well-connected and into the yard of a simple cobbler like Hans Sachs. Second--and more importantly--the action takes place on the eve and the day of Midsummer, i.e. the 23rd and 24th of June. At that latitude, lilacs blossom in April and May; it would be damn unusual for one to still be in bloom that late. (Although perhaps this would've been much less unusual during the Little Ice Age.) But elders flower from May into July. So, on the whole, it was most likely correct of the Lyric to use "elder" in the supertitles.
(The actual phrase is "the scent of elder", which made me titter. At the next intermission, I told Nuphy, "They must've meant Old Spice.")
[*] In case you're wondering, the common English name comes from Arabic ليلك līlak via Romance intermediation. Cf. French lilas, Italian lillà.
On account of the similarities between the species, the name Flieder became applied to both, albeit with some qualifier for the upstart such as "Spanish", "Turkish", or welscher. (Nothing to do with Wales; this was an adjective applied indiscriminately by the mediaeval Germans to all non-Germanic, non-Slavic peoples they came into contact with.) The standard language has dispensed with this, taking advantage of its ability to borrow from multiple dialects by reserving the synonymous Holunder (formerly subject to the same ambiguity) for elders.
The mid-16th century also happens to be the time the opera is set. So I think two facts speak against a lilac: First, that seems a bit soon for the trees to have made it out of the gardens of the rich and well-connected and into the yard of a simple cobbler like Hans Sachs. Second--and more importantly--the action takes place on the eve and the day of Midsummer, i.e. the 23rd and 24th of June. At that latitude, lilacs blossom in April and May; it would be damn unusual for one to still be in bloom that late. (Although perhaps this would've been much less unusual during the Little Ice Age.) But elders flower from May into July. So, on the whole, it was most likely correct of the Lyric to use "elder" in the supertitles.
(The actual phrase is "the scent of elder", which made me titter. At the next intermission, I told Nuphy, "They must've meant Old Spice.")
[*] In case you're wondering, the common English name comes from Arabic ليلك līlak via Romance intermediation. Cf. French lilas, Italian lillà.