17.715, Qs: Assessment of Opera Passages in Lingua Franca

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LINGUIST List: Vol-17-715. Wed Mar 08 2006. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 17.715, Qs: Assessment of Opera Passages in Lingua Franca

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1)
Date: 08-Mar-2006
From: Lawrence A. Rosenwald < lrosenwald at wellesley.edu >
Subject: Assessment of Opera Passages in Lingua Franca 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2006 12:58:37
From: Lawrence A. Rosenwald < lrosenwald at wellesley.edu >
Subject: Assessment of Opera Passages in Lingua Franca 
 


Dear Colleagues,

I'm working on a production of André Campra's 1697 opera L'Europe
Galante.The penultimate scene is set in Turkey (in a harem), and at one
point a chorus of ''Bostangis ou Jardiniers du Grand Seigneur'' sings some
passages of ''paroles franques,'' i.e., words in lingua franca, of which
the opera libretto offers a rhyming translation.

What I'm wondering is, are the words in question actually in a real lingua
franca, or in some cobbled-together approximation of one? or some mix of
the two?

Here are some sample passages:

                Vivir gran Sultana
                Unir li cantara
                Mille volte exclamara
               
                Bello como star un flor,
                Durar quanto far arbor.
                A l'enemigos su sciabola,
                Como à frutas Tempesta.

                La ruciada matutina
                Far florir su Jardina,
                Favor celesta Coprir su Turbanata

                Star contento, Star, potento,
                Del mondo star l'amor, ô lo spavento

                En regnar, en amar, far tributir
                l'Occidento L'Oriento,
                En regnar, en amar, sempre sentir
                plaer sensa tormento,

                Dirè far, O disfar Subito Sù lò momento.


My thanks for any help anyone can provide - advice, books or articles to
consult etc. - all the best, and I'll send a summary of whatever I get.

Larry Rosenwald
Professor of English, Co-Director of Peace and Justice Studies
Wellesley College 

Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics




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