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Firebird
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Date
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Carolyn Kunin: In my pursuit of Kalmakov, I came across a costume design by Goncharova for the character 'Sirin' in the Ballets Russes production of the Rimsky-Korsakov opera Tsar Saltan. Has anyone really studied the meaning(s) and implication(s) of VN's choice of nom de bird? [ ]. It seems possible that in choosing the name 'Sirin,' VN intended to affiliate himself with this cult ("Firebird).
Jansy Mello: Great images, particularly the Sirin costume and the story about the "Firebird" trend. Nabokov usually values words-images that allow for more than one single acception As a riddle-maker he might have also kept in mind the Egyptian-Greek sphynx. As C.Kunin notes, there are many possibilities still open when the Sirin myth is explored.
The word 'firebird" is mentioned by him in ADA, to alude to red-haired Lucette" Simultaneously, without turning her head, she slapped furtive Van away from her rear, and with her other hand made magic passes over the small but very pretty breasts, gemmed with sweat, and along the flat palpitating belly of a seasand nymph, down to the firebird seen by Van once, fully fledged now, and as fascinating in its own way as his favorite’s blue raven. Enchantress! Acrasia!"
Lucette is designated as a "seasand nymph", a " darling firebird", a BOP, a mermaid, Esmeralda: "We are even sorrier to have inveigled our Esmeralda and mermaid in a naughty prank. That sort of game will never be played again with you, darling firebird. We apollo [apologize]. Remembrance, embers and membranes of beauty make artists and morons lose all self-control....We wished to admire and amuse you, BOP (bird of paradise). We went too far.. In Ada's hand we find that "something in the tone of your note makes me really jealous for the first time in my fire [thus in the manuscript, for "life." Ed.]
Unlike you, I don't particularly see any Vladimirian literary extensions to be gleaned from Kalmakov's painting (except the precious information that the painting was owned by his parents and hung somewhere in the house). Nevertheless, the firebird and mermaid/seasand nymph associations in ADA seem to confirm your hunch! (There are a lot of aquatic images, words, worlds in ADA.)
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Jansy Mello: Great images, particularly the Sirin costume and the story about the "Firebird" trend. Nabokov usually values words-images that allow for more than one single acception As a riddle-maker he might have also kept in mind the Egyptian-Greek sphynx. As C.Kunin notes, there are many possibilities still open when the Sirin myth is explored.
The word 'firebird" is mentioned by him in ADA, to alude to red-haired Lucette" Simultaneously, without turning her head, she slapped furtive Van away from her rear, and with her other hand made magic passes over the small but very pretty breasts, gemmed with sweat, and along the flat palpitating belly of a seasand nymph, down to the firebird seen by Van once, fully fledged now, and as fascinating in its own way as his favorite’s blue raven. Enchantress! Acrasia!"
Lucette is designated as a "seasand nymph", a " darling firebird", a BOP, a mermaid, Esmeralda: "We are even sorrier to have inveigled our Esmeralda and mermaid in a naughty prank. That sort of game will never be played again with you, darling firebird. We apollo [apologize]. Remembrance, embers and membranes of beauty make artists and morons lose all self-control....We wished to admire and amuse you, BOP (bird of paradise). We went too far.. In Ada's hand we find that "something in the tone of your note makes me really jealous for the first time in my fire [thus in the manuscript, for "life." Ed.]
Unlike you, I don't particularly see any Vladimirian literary extensions to be gleaned from Kalmakov's painting (except the precious information that the painting was owned by his parents and hung somewhere in the house). Nevertheless, the firebird and mermaid/seasand nymph associations in ADA seem to confirm your hunch! (There are a lot of aquatic images, words, worlds in ADA.)
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/