Singable Standards: A First Foray into Studying Jazz Song Translation

This thesis serves as a first study on the topic of jazz song translation. As there seems to be no previous research by translation scholars on this topic, the aim is to take a broad approach that might serve as a point of departure for further research. The research question for this study is: “Are there any similarities between the selected jazz song translations that could suggest a general translation strategy for jazz songs?” which is answered through the analysis of three jazz song translations of varying language pairs, chosen to form a broad selection representative of the variety of the genre. The method of analysis is based on Johan Franzon’s concepts of the five choices of a song translator and his three layers of singability, as well as - to a lesser degree - on Peter Low’s Pentathlon Principle. By placing the songs in the framework of five choices and studying the different aspects of the music and lyrics as described by Franzon, the results for the three songs can be...Show moreThis thesis serves as a first study on the topic of jazz song translation. As there seems to be no previous research by translation scholars on this topic, the aim is to take a broad approach that might serve as a point of departure for further research. The research question for this study is: “Are there any similarities between the selected jazz song translations that could suggest a general translation strategy for jazz songs?” which is answered through the analysis of three jazz song translations of varying language pairs, chosen to form a broad selection representative of the variety of the genre. The method of analysis is based on Johan Franzon’s concepts of the five choices of a song translator and his three layers of singability, as well as - to a lesser degree - on Peter Low’s Pentathlon Principle. By placing the songs in the framework of five choices and studying the different aspects of the music and lyrics as described by Franzon, the results for the three songs can be compared to detect any similarities that could suggest an overall pattern. Comparison of the analyses points out that the three songs do not have enough in common to suggest a general translation strategy. Nevertheless, this fits into the emphasis within jazz on improvisation, experimentation and individuality, and having ruled out a general strategy clears the way for future research to focus more on unique approaches to jazz song translation.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Singable Standards: A First Foray into Studying Jazz Song Translation