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Wechseltanz

English translation: kaleidoscopic dance

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Wechseltanz
English translation:kaleidoscopic dance
Entered by: Chris Rowson (X)

16:31 Nov 4, 2003
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
German term or phrase: Wechseltanz
"„Sie muss“, so bemerkt der Rezensent der Leipziger Allgemeinen Musikalischen Zeitung 1812, „den Zuhörer so sehr in die Neuheit und den Wechseltanz der Gedanken, denen er immer, jedoch vergebens nachzugehen versucht, verflechten, dass er sich endlich in ihren Zauberkreisen vergisst.“
Chris Rowson (X)
Local time: 04:11
kaleidoscopic dance / procession
Explanation:
kaleidoscopic dance / procession

ever-changing thoughts (dance of thoughts)



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Note added at 2003-11-04 20:07:21 (GMT)
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myriad interplay of thoughts
ever-changing parade/array of thoughts
something with mingling/intermingling (should that have a hypen?!)
Selected response from:

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:11
Grading comment
Well thanks everyone, for a kaleidoscopic array of good ideas! I stuck with dance here, because it matches well with how I see my own perception of such a Fantasia, and chose the kaleidoscopic to round it out, though I suspect the reason it needs an adjective has more to do with the rhythm of the ideas than with their sense. Mario´s “whirling” might have been good, but I wanted to use “swirling” for the “Zauberkreise”, and lots of the other ideas were tempting too.

But in the end, this was about the new music of 1812, and Wechseltanz has to evoke the dancers swirling on a Viennese dance-floor.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1pavanne
Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.
4 +1interplay
Armorel Young
3 +1kaleidoscopic dance / procession
jerrie
4the dance of interchanging thoughts
Ron Peek
4revolving thoughts
Norbert Hermann
4ballet
szilard
4whirling dance
Mario Marcolin
3dance
NGK
3ever-changing canvas/carpet of thoughts
Renate FitzRoy


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
dance


Explanation:
Probably dance alone will do here. Wechseltanz means partner-changing dance (such as, say, a square dance).

NGK
United States
Local time: 21:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 2954

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  dudzik: hier geht es ganz klar nicht um Tanz an sich, sondern an ein "Wechselspiel" der Gedanken
17 mins
  -> Das ist mir schon klar. Aber die Metapher des Tanzes lässt sich im Englischen genau so gut verwenden wie im Deutschen, oder?
agree  Mario Marcolin: I agree on keeping the dance-imagery
20 hrs
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
kaleidoscopic dance / procession


Explanation:
kaleidoscopic dance / procession

ever-changing thoughts (dance of thoughts)



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-11-04 20:07:21 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

myriad interplay of thoughts
ever-changing parade/array of thoughts
something with mingling/intermingling (should that have a hypen?!)

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1469
Grading comment
Well thanks everyone, for a kaleidoscopic array of good ideas! I stuck with dance here, because it matches well with how I see my own perception of such a Fantasia, and chose the kaleidoscopic to round it out, though I suspect the reason it needs an adjective has more to do with the rhythm of the ideas than with their sense. Mario´s “whirling” might have been good, but I wanted to use “swirling” for the “Zauberkreise”, and lots of the other ideas were tempting too.

But in the end, this was about the new music of 1812, and Wechseltanz has to evoke the dancers swirling on a Viennese dance-floor.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hilary Davies Shelby: i really like kaleidoscopic procession!
2 hrs
  -> Thanks....or array of thoughts
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
ever-changing canvas/carpet of thoughts


Explanation:
I wouldn't tie myself too closely to the metapher.

Renate FitzRoy
Local time: 03:11
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 283
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53 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the dance of interchanging thoughts


Explanation:
Hope this helps, all the best.



Ron Peek
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:11
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 80
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
pavanne


Explanation:
Could work as well with the 'weaving' that comes later.

Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.
United States
Local time: 22:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 986

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hilary Davies Shelby: very elegant!
55 mins
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
revolving thoughts


Explanation:
I would get away from the Tanz thing - anyway "revolving" is not so far off from dancing and the concept of "revolving thoughts is widely understood.

... The spiritual pathfinder GI Gurdjieff points out that “Sometimes a man is lost in revolving thoughts which return again and again to the same thing, the same ...
... the intertwining of the normally distinct themes of Christian salvation and Germanic concession to "Wyrd"; this mixture suggests the revolving thoughts of a ...
... The revolving Thoughts of this persistent dream. ... i read this somewhere, and this part, "the revolving thoughts of this persistent dream... ...

Norbert Hermann
Local time: 03:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 1977
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
ballet


Explanation:
light, elegant, like a ballet of thoughts

szilard
Local time: 04:11
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian
PRO pts in pair: 36
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
interplay


Explanation:
a word which keeps reasonably close to the Wechseltanz/verflechten ideas

Armorel Young
Local time: 03:11
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 4700

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  roneill: I like this
7 hrs
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
whirling dance


Explanation:
Sie muss den Zuhörer so sehr in die Neuheit und den Wechseltanz der Gedanken.. verflechten
....>
entangle the listener in the novelty and whirling dance of (his/her) ideas

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Note added at 20 hrs 50 mins (2003-11-05 13:21:43 GMT)
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NOTE: In 1812 or thereabouts Waltz-dancing was the new thing...

Mario Marcolin
Sweden
Local time: 04:11
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 198
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