On the Air: An Intersemiotic Translation of Ovid's Heroides

Abstract

In this thesis project I translate three of Ovid’s Heroides, namely Ep. 1 (Penelope to Ulysses), 10 (Ariadne to Theseus), and 11 (Canace to Macareus), into musical pieces involving both lyrics and instrumentation. I have also composed an original piece to introduce the album and to help identify the Wind as the programmatic element and metapoetic lens through which my translation is heard. In my Introduction I establish the goals of this translation and the process by which I achieved them, including a discussion of the Wind as representative of electronic communication and the impact this interpretation has on the heroines’ narratives. Each chapter covers a single song-translation and includes (A) a translator’s statement which both clarifies key aspects of the Latin poem being translated and explains my broad focus and methodology for translating that particular song; (B) the audio file and lyrics; and (C) a commentary examining features of the Latin as well as highlighting the specific translation choices I have made and my reasoning for these. This project provides a case study of musical translation as reception of classical texts, as well as a valuable pedagogical tool for students of classics and Latin at all skill levels. Finally, my work here forms the foundation of a future concept album designed to appeal to a wide audience, including those with no knowledge of Ovid, Latin, or Roman culture. This album will serve as an effective way of attracting a new and diverse group of people to classics, and whose experiences and perspectives will enrich the field moving forward.