Abstract
This dissertation examines the English translation of the text of Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire Op. 21 (1912) as prepared by Ingolf Dahl. In 1944, Peter Yates, founder and first organizer of the Los Angeles “Evenings on the Roof” concert series, asked the German émigré composer/conductor Ingolf Dahl to write and conduct a translation of Pierrot—a version that Schoenberg not only appreciated, but also recommended for Pierrot performances after 1949. Dahl, as performing agent of Pierrot, utilized notions of literary and musical art when creating his translation. Schoenberg’s approval of the English translation indicates that he perceived a need to adapt his work to new audiences, cultures and times.
The sources of this dissertation are taken from the Ingolf Dahl papers, Collection no. 1001, University Archives, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. As well, I will present material received from the Arnold Schönberg Centre (Vienna). Sources include correspondence between Schoenberg and Dahl on the latter's translation, texts that outline Dahl's notion of performance and other texts pertaining to the performances of the American Pierrot in California.
The Los Angeles performances of Pierrot provide an excellent opportunity to relate the ideas of contemporary translation theory to a musical piece. My thesis will discuss Dahl’s text as an example of how translation can mediate between different linguistic and cultural contexts and times.
