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Nummerncharakter

English translation: see below, artistic blah-blah

17:15 Nov 5, 2009

German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Music / theatre studies

German term or phrase: Nummerncharakter

This is an academic piece. Film/cultural studies. The author writes about an interlude set within the main film

"Der ausgestellte *Nummerncharakter* und lange Musikschleifen unterstreichen den Spielcharakter dieses Interludiums".

From my research, "Nummerncharakter" seems to be a term used in theatre/opera/cabaret criticism. It appears, if I have understood it correctly, to refer to shows which are a collection of disparate song/musical "numbers" without an overriding narrative linking the numbers together (in the way a musical usually does).

Am I on the right track and, if so, does anyone know whether we have a term for this in English?

Paul Skidmore KudoZ activity Questions: 11 (none open) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 175 Germany
Local time: 18:28

English translation:see below, artistic blah-blah

Explanation:
the pronounced style of separate, individual pieces and extended musical loops accentuate the playful charactre of this interlude

Selected response from:

beermatt
Germany
Local time: 18:28

Grading comment

I found most of the comments and answers useful. Thank you to everyone. This answer came closest to what I finally wrote.
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

see below, artistic blah-blah

beermatt

a series of songs not directly musically related

Nicole Backhaus

vignette

Kphred

self-contained nature

Michél Dallaserra

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

28 mins confidence:

self-contained nature

Explanation:
This might be a good way of putting it. Apparently, an English equivalent does not exist.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_(music)

Michél Dallaserra
Germany
Local time: 18:28
Native speaker of:

German,

English
PRO pts in category: 4

1 hr confidence:

vignette

Explanation:
vignette is a brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie). This may not actually make it independent of the rest of the plot. you may want to add an adjective like "isolated" ... or "self-contained"

Kphred
United States
Local time: 10:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

4 hrs confidence:

a series of songs not directly musically related

Explanation:
Ich wuerde hier mit der Umschreibung gehen. Da es den Begriff im Englischen nicht zu geben scheint.

Example sentence(s):

A musical may be built around four to six main theme tunes that are reprised throughout the show, or consist of @a series of songs not directly musically related@.

Reference: http://wapedia.mobi/en/Musical_theatre

Nicole Backhaus
Honduras
Local time: 11:28
Native speaker of:

German