Edmund Rubbra question?

[Buster]

I was just listening to the BBC documentary on Beecham, and John Amis pronounced Smyth as in lithe, introducing Sit Thomas telling anecdotes about the composer, whom he knew well.

[Alan Howe]

I remember a story told by Smyth that Germans had problems pronouncing her name correctly. Instead of saying 'Smyth' they said 'Schmeiß' which means something like dirt ord mud. There is also a certain fly, in English it's called blowfly, in German Schmeißfliege, because it frequents heaps of mud. So when Ethel arrived, Brahms used to say: 'Ah, die Schmeißfliege kommt!' 

A "Schmeissfliege" is indeed a blowfly, or bluebottle; the verb "schmeissen" today means to throw, but its older meaning was to eject faeces. 'Nuff said, maybe...

[Mark Thomas]

Now that is comprehensive!

[Lionel Harrsion]

I was just listening to the BBC documentary on Beecham, and John Amis pronounced Smyth as in lithe, introducing Sit Thomas telling anecdotes about the composer, whom he knew well.

Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between -- I just listened to this recording of Vera Brittain broadcasting in 1937 http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/suffragettes/8314.shtml introducing Dame Ethel and pronouncing it Smyth with a long 'y' but an unvoiced 'th'.

[albion]

I'm fairly sure Ethel Smyth rhymed with "lithe". It is interesting how many British composers had unusual surnames and how few were called Jones, Smith, Green Brown and Chapman

... lithe, scythe, blithe, tithe, Smyth ...



another trap for the unwary -

Rutland Boughton (Bough as in bow-wow, not as in bore, and definitely not as in buff!).

[alberto]

Please, which is the right pronunciation for
"Moeran" ?

[ahinton]

I'm fairly sure Ethel Smyth rhymed with "lithe". It is interesting how many British composers had unusual surnames and how few were called Jones, Smith, Green Brown and Chapman

... lithe, scythe, blithe, tithe, Smyth ...



another trap for the unwary -

Rutland Boughton (Bough as in bow-wow, not as in bore, and definitely not as in buff!).

The "ough" one is a particularly problematic one, for it could be pronounced like "throw" as it in in "Ferneyhough", "buff" as it is in "enough", "now" as it is in "Boughton", "oo" as it is in "through", "off" as it is in "trough" or "aw" as it is in "nought"; with this case of six pronunciations in search of a word, can anyone wonder that many people find learning English as a foreign language so difficult?!

[albion]

Please, which is the right pronunciation for
"Moeran" ?

Moeran = two distinct syllables moy-rn (with no real articulated vowel on the second syllable, not run, and not as long as rern)

[Jimfin]

Thank you, I almost asked about Moeran too!

[allison]

Thanks, Reiger for the reference to Iowa Public Radio, best I have seen. The pronouncing guide on Naxos is audio but it is not very comprehensive.

[Dundonnell]

I'm fairly sure Ethel Smyth rhymed with "lithe". It is interesting how many British composers had unusual surnames and how few were called Jones, Smith, Green Brown and Chapman

Arnold Cooke, Daniel Jones, John Gardner, Iain Hamilton, George Lloyd, James MacMillan, David Matthews, Cyril Scott, Robert Simpson, Thomas Wilson, Hugh Wood....well you did say

[alberto]

Thank you for Moeran!
(I have recordings of Moeran music since the seventies but I heard his name pronounced just once -at the Italian radio. The Speaker said "Moy-run" : indeed she was almost right).

[fr8nks]

Another pronunciation question. How do you pronounce Lajtha?

[shamokin88]

My friend Miklos pronounces it lightuh.

[alberto]

Other pronounciation questions. How do you pronounce "Tuur" (I cannot type properly), "Moyzes" and "Suchon"?