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Fw:VN and german Lit: Heine
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----- Original Message -----
From: Dmitri Nabokov
To: 'D. Barton Johnson'
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 3:40 PM
Subject: Ada and Heine
Dear Don (please post) :
It is true that among the German poetry that VN liked was much of Heine's work. He did translate into Russian at least five Heine texts, used by Schubert and Schumann for some of their most famous songs (here Alex errs slightly), for performance in Yalta by a singer who, with her husband, was a friend of the Nabokovs'. One was "Ich grolle nicht." ("Net, zloby net...") from the Dichterliebe cycle by Schumann. Another was Doppelgaenger ("Tikhaya noch.") by Schubert. The Russian texts are unpublished and I believe I have the only extant copies, although I don't exclude that the originals went to the Berg. I have performed four of the songs, at the Cornell Nabokov festivities and elsewhere.
Exigencies of time force me to write this from memory. If you and the List find the matter of interest, I can supply more detailed information after checking my records.
Best greetings,
DN