I assume this is too mundane and pointless for General Questions, or even for Cafe Society.
Would someone please spell out a phonetic representation of the correct German pronunciation of the name of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin?
I don’t speak German, but I’m a Wagnerite, and I pronounce it LONE-grin.
If I’m being careful I linger a bit over the short O in the first syllable, LOWWN-grin.
None of my anarchist buddies down at the Metropolitan has looked at me funny yet, but maybe they’re just being polite.
I do speak some German, and I’d spell it out, in English, as LOW-en-grin. In other words, the “e” isn’t completely silent, but it’s just barely there - you should end up with three syllables. LONE-grin ain’t bad, though. When in doubt, mumble.
Actually, it’s spelled “LOW-en-grin,” but it’s pronounced “Throat Wobbler Mangrove.”
(apologies to Monty Python)
It must not be revealed.
It is the befragverbot.
I’ve always said Low hen grin (barely speaking the H, more like en actually)
I have always heard it pronounced by musicians as “LOW-en-grin,” as Early Out said.
vel, i alvays put on my verry thick garrrman acczent und say
Luurn grin.
seriously, for any german word think how marlene dietrich would have said it.
(i speak pretty fluent german, with a nice munich accent, in case you’re worried)
hijack:
Contains my favortie Wagnerian line:
Lohengrin (under the secret identity) and the babe are about to get it on.
Enter two murders.
Lohengrain dispatches the bad guys in the bridal chamber.
Babe: “What did you say your name was?”
In music school the teachers all pronounced it like Low- en- grin. Don’t double the “w” sound… it is only there to make the O in Low long.