This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
TECNICA TURISTICA
per successione mortis causa

Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

nobile malinconia

English translation:

sublime sadness, sweet sadness, moving sense of melancholy, lofty melancholy,

Added to glossary by WendellR
Sep 30, 2008 11:47
15 yrs ago
Italian term

nobile malinconia

Italian to English Other Music
The term is used in a brief description of Mendelssohn's famous violin concerto. I know what the words mean, and I know how they apply to this particularly haunting piece of music, but I'm wondering if there's a standard musicological translation for this.

"Noble melancholy" googles decently, for what that's worth, but a lot of the sites aren't English originals, and I'm concerned that I'm seeing a calque rather than a real translation.

Many thanks.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 sublime sadness
4 Noble melancholy
4 lofty/grand melancholy

Proposed translations

+2
40 mins
Selected

sublime sadness

I personally prefer the sound of "sublime sadness" to "noble melancholy", though you might get better suggesions :-)

see:
... though they have the sublime sadness pronounced in Ich will den .... Mendelssohn's concerto sparkles with youthful happiness, and though at that time ...
www.naxos.com/reviews/David_review_corner_NOV2006.asp

What is it that so powerfully attracts him, but the gaze of a woman, which, full of sublime sadness and divine sympathy, is drawn towards him! ...
www.musicwithease.com/flying-dutchman-music.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2008-09-30 12:29:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ehm, suggestions ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-09-30 13:22:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It seems to be a favoured expression for describing melancholy music in general.

Sublime sadness from saxophonist Phil Woods -- a beautiful session of ballads blown with string backings, all wrapped up in a late nite sense of darkness ...
www.dustygroove.com/browse.php?label=132353&incl_oos=1&incl...

But gems abound: Ian McCulloch soars through Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye, adding his own melancholy twist to the song's sublime sadness; ...
www.amazon.co.uk/review/product/B00000ASHL
Peer comment(s):
agree AeC2009 : FWIW sublime sadness mi piace di più...
2 hrs
grazie capitano :-)
agree Joseph Tein : Anche a me. 'Sublime sadness' sounds much more beautiful, even though 'noble melancholy' would also be correct.
3 hrs
thanks Joseph
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks. This does it nicely. From other sources I rec'd additional suggestions, which are included in the gloss entry."
34 mins

Noble melancholy

seems that it is also used in english.
See this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vítězslav_NovA1k
which is the wikipedia entry for: Vítězslav Novák

in the last paragraph it talks about his works, instilled with "noble melancholy for the czech people".-
Note from asker:
Yes, but it's a pretty terrible phrase in English -- and I'd be willing to be that the wiki page you cite wasn't written by a native speaker.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

lofty/grand melancholy

I think "lofty" and "grand" can convey the sense of sweeping melancholy that pervades music

http://www.google.it/search?hl=it&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENIT288&pwst=1...

http://www.google.it/search?hl=it&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENIT288&pwst=1...

HTH
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search