Events at the Shop
Robert Chandler - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Thursday 15 July 2004
Robert Chandler talks about Nikolay Leskov and reads from his newly-published translation of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk on which the libretto of Shostakovich’s opera is based.
Introduction
Listen now (6:48)
Robert Chandler outlines Nikolai Leskov’s background and unique perspective on Russian society, explains the linguistic difficulties his dense wordplay affords translators, and admits that he came to settle on Lady Macbeth in part because of its accessibility and lack of puns, in part because of the operatic quality to the story.
Introducing Katerina Lvovna
Listen now (5:31)
Reading from the opening section of the book, Robert Chandler introduces the main characters, in particular the two lovers at the centre of the story, noting how Leskov hammers home Katerina’s “Russian boredom . . . a boredom so profound that it makes the idea of hanging yourself seem like fun.”
Murder, and Eloquence in the Apple Orchard
Listen now (15:53)
Chandler reads a section from the middle of Lady Macbeth. Katerina and her lover Sergey’s murderous plotting is followed by a scene between the pair set in the apple orchard, which Chandler singles out for both its lyrical beauty and psychological acuity.
More Murder, and the Road to Siberia
Listen now (9:47)
Chandler briefly summarises the mounting-up of the crimes of Katerina and her lover Sergey. He introduces the final readings from the closing section of the book, in which Katerina and Sergey are marching to Siberia as convicts, highighting again Leskov’s “operatic” and vividly visual style.
Recorded and edited by Adrian Leibowitz and Brett Wilson
Common Custom:documentary & archive
Robert Chandler has translated the poetry of Sappho and Apollinaire. His translations from Russian include Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate, Pushkin’s Dubrovsky and The Captain’s Daughter, and – as co-translator – numerous works by Andrey Platonov. His translations have won prizes in both the UK and the USA. He teaches part time at Queen Mary College, University of London, and has published poems in the TLS and Poetry Review.
Further Reading
If you enjoyed this event, you may also be interested in:
Alan Bennett - The History Boys