Plans are well under way for the production of two new programs in the series The O/Aural Tradition. The Legend of Tristan will feature performance of portions of the medieval Tristan poems by Gottfried von Strasburg and Thomas of Britain, original musical accompaniment, as well as expert commentary on the programs to help modern listeners understand what they are hearing.
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The Legend of Tristan, Part I - Tristan the Artist, from the 13th century Middle High German poem by Gottfried, will focus on the childhood of the hero, his arrival at the court of King Mark and the early events in the story of his love affair with Isolde. The Legend of Tristan, Part II - Tristan the Fool, from the 12th century Old French poem by Thomas and from an anonymous contemporary text known as the Folie Tristan, will tell how the lovers lived after their separation, Tristan’s exile, and how the lovers died. |
Each part will feature performance in the original medieval language, with voice-over translation in modern English, and musical accompaniment on the harp and other instruments. The broadcast home of the project continues to be WNYC-FM, New York Public Radio. Scriptwriting and the creation of this website have been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, DC, a Federal Agency. Scriptwriter and Director Charles Potter is currently shepherding the scripts for the two one-hour programs through Peer Review and final revisions will follow. Production of the two programs is planned for 2006 – 7 |