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Referenzaufführung

English translation: definitive performance


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Referenzaufführung
English translation:definitive performance
Entered by: gfish
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21:30 Feb 16, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Music
German term or phrase: Referenzaufführung
Aus der Broschüre eines Opernfestivals:
Unser Ziel ist es Referenzaufführungen herzustellen und nicht modische Interpretationen.

Scheint auch im dt. kein wirklich geläufiger Begriff zu sein. Mir fällt leider auch keine griffige Umschreibung im englischen ein.
gfish
Local time: 19:16
definitive performance
Explanation:
Sorry to be so stodgy and middle-aged, but there IS a "geläufiger Begriff" (and I came up with it immediately, without reading Lynda's entry) which I MUCH prefer to that awful "buzz word" "benchmark" which I hope will go out of fashion long before the performance in question!

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Note added at 19 hrs (2011-02-17 16:57:48 GMT)
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In thre thread to which my link leads, it is worth reading the 8th-14th entries which are a linguistic discussion of the term among (I would imagine) educated, music-loving Native Speakers of English, so please read what they have to say (most agree with me, so perhaps I am also an educated etc......)
Selected response from:

British Diana
Germany
Local time: 04:16
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone. Would have liked to give the points to Andrew who first came up with definitive performance. Thanks for the interesting link Diana.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4reference performance
Lynda Hepburn
4 +1definitive performance
British Diana
4ultimate performances
Ramey Rieger
3a performance faithful to the original
Allison Wright


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
reference performance


Explanation:
This term is certainly used e.g. (re Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet): "The results of this long and exclusive collaboration have received critical accolades worldwide – indeed many of these recordings are already widely held to be “definitive” or “reference” performances."
see: http://cincychamber.org/?p=95

Or: "And I say that with all due respect to this great conductor, who's forays into Haydn I consider reference performances and who's Bruckner is revelatory."
see: http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Symphonies-Concertos-Overtur...

Lynda Hepburn
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Andrew Swift: Prefer 'definitive performance'.
2 hrs

agree  Thayenga
8 hrs

neutral  Jim Tucker: w/ Andrew - "definitive performance" is more prevalent and less techy. But yours is serviceable to be sure.
10 hrs

agree  Colin Rowe: "reference", "definitive" or "benchmark" all seem to work in this context
10 hrs

agree  Helen Shiner: With Colin
12 hrs

neutral  British Diana: Your second link points to someone who cannot differentiate between whose and who's - should this really be an example for us?
19 hrs
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a performance faithful to the original


Explanation:
or: authentic performances, and not merely fashionable interpretations.

It is referring to the trend to produce "modern adaptations" of original works in order to gain a wider audience.

Allison Wright
Portugal
Local time: 03:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: oops ... posted my ideas without seeing yours and I think we're on the right track here .... withdrawing my answer as duplicating yours :)
1 hr
  -> your other adjectives were useful for the asker to plug in elsewhere in the text, if synonyms were required later!

disagree  Joel Schaefer: Nice idea, but it won't work because "authentic performance" now means something specific: using historical evidence (instruments and techniques) to approach music of an earlier era. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historische_Aufführungspraxis
4 hrs
  -> Interesting link. De equivalent then of "authentic performance" would be "historische Aufführung", I suppose. I am interested to know now whether De "Referenzaufführung" is a lit. translation from En, or vice versa.

neutral  Jim Tucker: w/Joel: "authentic" generally refers to period-instrument performance, and contemporary performance practice of the composer's day -- but these are not necessarily non-fashionable interpretations or definitive performances.
10 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
ultimate performances


Explanation:
an alternative

Ramey Rieger
Local time: 04:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
definitive performance


Explanation:
Sorry to be so stodgy and middle-aged, but there IS a "geläufiger Begriff" (and I came up with it immediately, without reading Lynda's entry) which I MUCH prefer to that awful "buzz word" "benchmark" which I hope will go out of fashion long before the performance in question!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 hrs (2011-02-17 16:57:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In thre thread to which my link leads, it is worth reading the 8th-14th entries which are a linguistic discussion of the term among (I would imagine) educated, music-loving Native Speakers of English, so please read what they have to say (most agree with me, so perhaps I am also an educated etc......)


    Reference: http://www.classicalmusicguide.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11626...
British Diana
Germany
Local time: 04:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone. Would have liked to give the points to Andrew who first came up with definitive performance. Thanks for the interesting link Diana.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Andrew Swift
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Andrew. Lynda mentioned the word without selecting it, you supported it without posting as an answer, meanwhile I arrived there completely independently - so thanks for your support!
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