Subject
a short story "Music" (fwd)
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From: Vladimir Mylnikov <mylnikov@jingxian.xmu.edu.cn>
Dear List,
About a week ago Peter Kretzman mentioned VN's short story "Music" in the
context of the best story and expressed a wish to hear an interpretaton of
the ending. So, the following is my understanding. I read the story in
Russian.
1.Viktor Ivanovich meditates on the word 'the end' when he hears chords and
he thinks that this is the end of the piece. He is right only partly(yes,
Wolf is finishing) because he does not have ear for music. Nabokov plays
pun with the word 'the end'(konets = gonets + kon' herald and horse). I am
not sure if it is possible to preserve the pun in the English version and
if it exists (I do not have a copy by hand). Nabokov is also making fun of
the idea of the ending. We know that for him a high quality piece of art
does not finish at all. For example, the ending in "The Gift", "Pale Fire"
and some others.
2.V.I. does not understand why his wife left him. She left because she does
not love him physically. As soon as she realized that, she left. He is not
a passionate person(for her) but she is(but not for him). He does not love
music but she does(she sits in the first row).
I suggest that Wolf is her husband but it is quite possible that he is not.
3.At the very end he meets Bok( the name alludes to J.S.Bach) - a person
who knows music and who is quite amazed by V.I's reaction. He mentions
Kreizer Sonata (allusion to Tolstoi famous story with almost a fable type
of ending) and Virgin's cry (presumably Nabokov means Stabat Mater and it
is pun again because this piece is not for playing but for singing and the
first one is a duet. Again it is absolutely not appropriate for the occasion.
Sorry, if something I mention was clear for you and my words sounded
redundant.
Best, Vladimir Mylnikov
Dear List,
About a week ago Peter Kretzman mentioned VN's short story "Music" in the
context of the best story and expressed a wish to hear an interpretaton of
the ending. So, the following is my understanding. I read the story in
Russian.
1.Viktor Ivanovich meditates on the word 'the end' when he hears chords and
he thinks that this is the end of the piece. He is right only partly(yes,
Wolf is finishing) because he does not have ear for music. Nabokov plays
pun with the word 'the end'(konets = gonets + kon' herald and horse). I am
not sure if it is possible to preserve the pun in the English version and
if it exists (I do not have a copy by hand). Nabokov is also making fun of
the idea of the ending. We know that for him a high quality piece of art
does not finish at all. For example, the ending in "The Gift", "Pale Fire"
and some others.
2.V.I. does not understand why his wife left him. She left because she does
not love him physically. As soon as she realized that, she left. He is not
a passionate person(for her) but she is(but not for him). He does not love
music but she does(she sits in the first row).
I suggest that Wolf is her husband but it is quite possible that he is not.
3.At the very end he meets Bok( the name alludes to J.S.Bach) - a person
who knows music and who is quite amazed by V.I's reaction. He mentions
Kreizer Sonata (allusion to Tolstoi famous story with almost a fable type
of ending) and Virgin's cry (presumably Nabokov means Stabat Mater and it
is pun again because this piece is not for playing but for singing and the
first one is a duet. Again it is absolutely not appropriate for the occasion.
Sorry, if something I mention was clear for you and my words sounded
redundant.
Best, Vladimir Mylnikov