TRANSLATION: Arnold Schoenberg's 'Pierrot Lunaire,' Op. 21 - "Red Mass"

Lost in the fire of last year's Pierrot centennial was translation. After all, it was Otto Erich Hartleben's German--translated from the original French of Albert Giraud--that Arnold Schoenberg had set.

And with Stanley Appelbaum's Anglicised Hartleben turning 20 next year (not to mention having its own Twitter account @PierrotTweets), Classicalite figured a new English language translation was passed due.

To wit, for the next 21 weekdays, we'll be offering a new take on each of Giraud/Hartleben/Appelbaum's 3x7 poems...alongside some of our favorite performances.

RED MASS

For an odious Last Supper
By the gleam of gold,
In the flickering tapers,
Pierrot comes to the altar.

His annointed hand
Tears the clerical vestments
For an odious Last Supper
By the gleam of gold.

With consecrated amnesty,
He proffers to trembling souls
A red, dripping host:
His heart--the digits bloody--
For an odious Last Supper!

Coming up next, Teil II: 12. "Galgenlied."

Tags

Translation, Arnold Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire, Teil II, Albert Giraud, Otto Erich Hartleben, Stanley Appelbaum, University of Southern California