Az Amerikai Szellem: László Lukin’s Hungarian Translations of American Folk Songs in Erzsébet Szőnyi’s “Biciniumok” (Accepted)

Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The composer and pedagogue Erzsébet Szőnyi (1924-2019), who studied with Zoltán Kodály, Nadia Boulanger, and Olivier Messiaen, is largely credited with advancing Kodály’s vision for music education around the world. In the second and third volumes of Szőnyi’s “Biciniumok” (two-part musical arrangements to be used pedagogically with children), the musician, educator, and translator Lászlo Lukin (1926-2004) provided Hungarian texts to twenty-four American folk songs. Lukin himself was a student of Lajos Bárdos and Jenő Ádám, who (with Szőnyi) were pivotal in the development of Hungary’s system of music education in the early 20th century. This paper explores the various challenges encountered when translating lyrics from English to Hungarian: navigating the idiomatic use of language in folk material; overcoming differences in prosody and its impact on both linguistic accents and musical meter; and differentiating between literal, cultural and artistic/creative avenues of translation. General patterns of word stress, syntax, and meaning will be addressed for all twenty-four of the folk song arrangements. Through a detailed analysis of four of the pieces (“Postaváró”, “Ausztrál Tájak Felé”, “Bricskán Járok”, and “Madarak”), the author will highlight the variety of approaches taken by Lukin regarding the process of translation. Consideration will also be given regarding the singability of each translation, as well as the appropriateness of the text for children.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Matthew Hanne is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at California State University - Bakersfield. He earned his MME from Wichita State University, and BME from Friends University. Matthew earned his Kodály certification from Wichita State, and has studied Kodály pedagogy in Kecskemét, Hungary. He has worked extensively in the application of the Kodály philosophy in secondary choral education. His additional areas of research interest involve elementary general music education, and historical research into the foundations of the Kodály movement in the United States.