Rainer Maria Rilke is one of the most widely read poets of the 20th century. In his poetry, Rilke addresses the problems of death, God, and "destructive time, " and attempts to overcome and transform these problems into an indestructive inner world. Stephen Mitchell brings these ideas to life in this new translation of Rilke's most transcendent works. 2 cassettes.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Language Notes
Text: English, German (translation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
Devils and angels duke it out in these two verse masterpieces of 1923. They are, in a way, triumphant spiritual and aesthetic responses to the chaos of post WWI Europe by this century's greatest lyric poet. Difficult, if not impossible to translate, the beauty and expressive power of these works is nonetheless evident, albeit diminished, in English. As translator, Stephen Mitchell has done a fantastic job of rendering Rilke's stylistic character. Unfortunately, only poetasters could praise his wimpy, mannered reading, the sole virtue of which is his excellent phrasing. This is lyric. It should sing. All Mitchell can do is hum. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic translation, but meek reading,
By
This review is from: Duino Elegies and the Sonnets to Orpheus (Audio Cassette)
Mitchell's translation takes on the complexities of Rilke and somehow manages to render them elegantly, effectively and without sacrificing clarity. But his reading! He sounds like a Disney mouse trebling and whimpering through his own fantastic translation, which is a disappointment, given how powerful it is. Still, this is a great asset; I recommend highly. It is amazing to listen to the words as spoke from as close to the poet as one can reach, and once you get past the weak performance, the poetry is ringing.
3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rilke rains on my parade,
This review is from: Duino Elegies and the Sonnets to Orpheus (Audio Cassette)
While audio readings are usually annoying (check out T.S. Eliot reading T.S. Eliot) this particular version benefits from Mitchell's suberb translations and Rilke's vivid imagery. Who among the angels hierarchies....
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