by Ferruccio Busoni (1866 - 1924)
Translation © by Laura Stanfield Prichard

Reminiscenza Rossiniana
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  ENG
Caro Dent, due paroline in confidenza
ascoltate con pazienza
di grazia udite:
Vi sovvenga (all'occasione)
Chatto e Windus
and the works of Wilkie Collins,
che mi stanno tanto a cuore
per la mia collezione.

Vi sovvenga'l occasione
la domanda che v'ho fatto
Chatto Windus Wilkie Collins,
Wilkie Collins Chatto Windus,
che mi stanno tanto a cuore
per la mia collezione.

ascoltate con pazienza
questi motti in confidenza
vi sovvenga'l occasione
la domanda che vi fo.

Servitore devotissimo:
  Dottor Busoni.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , "Reminiscence of Rossini", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2014-09-25
Line count: 20
Word count: 79

Reminiscence of Rossini
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Dear Dent, two little words in confidence
listen with patience
please hear [me]:
You helped out (when the occasion called for it)
[with] Chatto and Windus
and the works of Wilkie Collins,
that are so dear to me
for my collection.

You helped out (when the occasion called for it)
with the demand I made of you
Chatto Windus Wilkie Collins,
Wilkie Collins Chatto Windus,
that are so dear to me
for my collection.

Listen with patience to 
these words in confidence:
you helped out (when the occasion called for it)
with the demand I made of you.

Your most devoted servant:
   Doctor Busoni.

Translator's notes: This is one of Busoni’s last works (1923), and the text is a witty send-up of Rossini and his popularity.
Line 1: Busoni’s friend, the English musicologist E. J. Dent (1876-1957), who requested first and collected editions of popular English novels for Busoni.
Line 5: Chatto & Windus, the London literary publishing house
Line 6: English popular novelist William Wilkie Collins (1824-1889)

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Stanfield Prichard, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2016-02-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 104