(no subject)

[otaku-vengeance.livejournal.com]

Hi guys. I'm not sure how well this question fits into this community (and I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong place). I'm currently studying Anton Chekhov as an introduction to general Russian theatre history. I'm reading The Cherry Orchard, but in my head I know I'm absolutely mangling the names. Does anyone know where I could find/get hooked up with a recording of a list of these names? Again, I apologize profusely if I'm out of place here. Any help or direction is appreciated. 

Thanks!

Comments

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Do you mean pronouncing them correctly according to American (or British, whatever) norm, or just exactly like in Russian? If you have not studied Russian phonetics properly, pronouncing the names exactly the Russian way would not be too easy for you. I could make such recording if you hinted me which of the two options was the best for you.

[vanmeetin.livejournal.com]

If you won't find it, I could record it for you. Just let me know.

[otaku-vengeance.livejournal.com]

I would love to know how to pronounce the names according to both Russian and American norms. The only problem is that in every translated version of the play that I've found, the spelling of the names changes very slightly. In this version, the cast list reads as follows:

Ranevskaya, Lyubov Andreyevna
Varvara Mikhailovna
Gayev, Leonid Andreyvich
Lopakhin, Yermolay Alexyevich
Trofimov, Pyotr Sergeyvich
Simeonov-Pishchik, Boris Borisovich
Charlotta Ivanovna
Yepikhodov, Semyon Pantelyevich
Dunyasha
Firs
Yasha
[Avodotya Fydorovna]

Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the Russian language in any way, though it's my long-term goal to be. This list, copied verbatim from the script, is all I have to go by.

Since these names may have been altered somewhat in translation, I'm not sure how much use they'll be to you. But a recording would be a great help if you could provide it. I'm sorry I can't be more specific in my request. Whether this list is anything you can work with or not, thanks very much.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

OK, I just recorded them in exact Russian pronounciation; try to make out as much as you can -- tough I know that Russian phonetics are very difficult for English speakers (actually, for most foreigners, whatever their native language is.)

There's nothing wrong with the spelling of the names you have -- my guess is that the slight changes are just different ways of transcription, as the sounds in Russian and English are too different, and there is more than one way to render one language's spelling in another.

Sorry the recording is messy -- there's something wrong with my sound card today, but I'm sure you can still make our most sounds throught all that rumble and hiss.

NAMES (http://www.moshkow.net/snd/names.mp3) (600 Kb mp3)

[otaku-vengeance.livejournal.com]

I'm always startled at how musical the language is. Hopefully I'll be more familiar with it in the future. Thank you so much.

one of my favorite resources

[wordchick.livejournal.com]

The International Dialects of English Archive actually addresses this very issue in one of its special collections recordings. (http://web.ku.edu/~idea/special/playnames/playnames.htm) It also has Uncle Vanya and The Seagull, should you need them.

[otaku-vengeance.livejournal.com]

Ach, sorry, I didn't see this comment till just now. I'm pretty much set at the moment, but thank you so much for the offer.

Re: one of my favorite resources

[otaku-vengeance.livejournal.com]

...This is an amazing resource. I ran about a half-dozen Google searches and didn't turn up anything like this, so I had given up hope on that front. Thank you!

Re: one of my favorite resources

[wordchick.livejournal.com]

I particularly like it for the accents in English, but it is useful for theater as well. Glad to help!