Tad Williams' Message Board

Olaf · 2012-08-19 01:37:59

Tad`s longtime German audio-publisher, Der Hörverlag, will finally start to bring out an unabridged audio production of Memory, Sorrow and Thorne.

THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR is scheduled for February 25th, 2013. It will be released on four mp3 cds. And best of all: Andreas Fröhlich will be reading it! He already did the Tinkerfarm books for the Hörverlag. But this is the best news ever!

http://www.randomhouse.de/Hoerbuch-MP3/ … 427617.rhd

Last edited by Olaf (2012-08-19 01:38:23)

ylvs · 2012-12-13 14:56:00

Just saw this post for the first time ... Andreas Fröhlich? Brilliant news indeed!

Magpie · 2012-12-13 17:04:35

*conquers AT*

*blames it all on ylvs* She started it!

Miri's Temper · 2012-12-13 22:45:42

Awesome!!!

I've only ever read the books in German, love it...I WANNA LISTEN!!

*adds to Xmas wishlist* :P

xavie · 2012-12-14 05:01:39

Also just saw this thread now. I'd really like to have this book as audiobook - although I'd also enjoy listening to it in English, which I've never read it in. Does anybody know if it exists as an English audiobook or radioplay?

@Miri, If it gets indeed published by february 2013, I'm afraid Santa will have a hard time delivering it for this year's christmas ;)

Olaf · 2013-01-25 17:14:49

There is an English-language audiobook that was produced in the 1990s as a reading for the blind by the US Library of Congress (I think, but I might be wrong). However, it was never commercially released.

Last edited by Olaf (2013-01-25 17:15:11)

Olaf · 2013-01-25 17:20:13

BTW, the product page now has an audio sample as well:

http://www.randomhouse.de/Hoerbuch-MP3/ … 427617.rhd

I like what I hear, but why for heaven`s sake is every "y" in any name pronounced like "ü" in German. So, instead of "Erkingarde" it is "Erküngarde"! Quite annoying. The narrator who does GRRM`s Song of Ice and Fire in Germany is doing the same thing. So it is always "Arüa" instead of "Aria" :-(

The second book will be out in June.

ylvs · 2013-03-02 15:53:23

I downloaded it today ... as there is no English version I'm iving it a try. I really like Andreas Fröhlich.
Morgenes is pronounced weirdly.

Magpie · 2013-03-02 16:11:43

*listens*
The voice is alright, but... my name pronunciation is already a big enough mess, half following German rules, half English, without adding anyone else's pronunciation to the mix.
Also, y as ü? That's just wrong. Would probably make me want to rip my ears off after hearing it a few times.

Firsfron of Ronchester · 2013-03-02 16:34:10

Where ist the part mit the audio sample?

Olaf · 2013-03-03 01:20:56

The audio sample is on the product page linked in the first post. Just click on the cover image and the sample will begin to play.

I must say that I have not really started listening to it yet, since I have other audio books to finish first. But hope to start soon. Fröhlich is known for his readings of big fantasy books. Like Eragon. But he reads most names with a strict hard German pronunciation (at least he is doing that in the Eragon books). Why every "y" turns into an "ü" is a mystery to me. The reader who is doing the German George R.R. Martin audio books is doing the same every Arya is Arüa. Just sounds not right to me.

The Dragonbone Chair is not only available as mp3 CD but also at Audible Germany as download.

Part two, Stone of Farewell, will be out in June.

ylvs · 2013-03-03 01:35:14

Magpie wrote:
Also, y as ü? That's just wrong. Would probably make me want to rip my ears off after hearing it a few times.

It is not. Everybody pronouncing y as i does not make it right. I know because I fought the battle of letting people pronounce my name right for ages - gave up though in the meantime and just let them call me Ilva instead of Ülva ...

I'd like to know what the Swedes say about this ...

Kenan?

Kenan · 2013-03-03 02:39:14

ylvs wrote:
Magpie wrote:
Also, y as ü? That's just wrong. Would probably make me want to rip my ears off after hearing it a few times.
It is not. Everybody pronouncing y as i does not make it right. I know because I fought the battle of letting people pronounce my name right for ages - gave up though in the meantime and just let them call me Ilva instead of Ülva ...

I'd like to know what the Swedes say about this ...

Kenan?

I pronounce "y" in fictional names as a Scandinavian "y" (German "ü") OGG-sample, not as an "i". That's only natural to me, after all. I definitely say erkYngard. I also use the Scandinavian rounded "u" sound OGG-sample in names such as isgrimnUr, not the awful english "OO" sound ;) Nor do I use the english ai diphtong for the initial "I" in that name Many names are delightfully like old Scandinavian/Germanic so it falls in line to use that kind of pronunciation.

Last edited by Kenan (2013-03-03 02:49:18)

Olaf · 2013-03-03 02:56:03

In some cases y=ü might be justified, but probably not in all cases:-)

Kenan · 2013-03-03 03:09:41

Olaf wrote:
In some cases y=ü might be justified, but probably not in all cases:-)

Well, I am looking at some names, and all these I pronounce with Y (ü)

Brynioch
Hernystir
Gwythinn
Llythinn
Dypnir
Elysia
Hylissa
Charystra

I use J- (not dj-) before another vowel, or after

Yistrin
Briseyu
Jenjiyana
Likimeya
Yizashi
Ruyan
Yis-...

For some reason in "Pryrates" I use the english ai-diphtong. maybe because he's evil and it sounds angrier to say "ai" ;)

Consider this: English pronunciation is very complicated and without strong rules. Why introduce the letter Y in names at all if not to distinguish pronunciation?

xavie · 2013-03-03 03:38:06

Olaf wrote:
In some cases y=ü might be justified, but probably not in all cases:-)

That is the beauty of the letty Y, isn't it? At least I think so. It's just like with the German V. Sometimes it wants to be pronounced a W and sometimes an F. *gets all shiny-eyed with excitement about funny letters and sounds*

Ylvs, I never knew that you were pronounced "Ülvs"! I will try to remember and always say it correctly.

I think I usually pronounce the Y as something between the "Ü" and the "I" when speaking German. That always gets Aan to correct my pronounciation when I speak Dutch because there the "Y" is a definite "I" and to Dutch ears my pronounciation sounds way to "Ü". lol. I hope this is still understandable.

I listened to the audio sample of the Dragonboone Chair and really liked it. I assume that I will also have some pronounciation stumbles (the first one, in the sample, was already "Presbyter"), but I can get used to that pretty easily. More importantly, I love the bemused way Andreas Fröhlich reads the story. Even though it's a translation, you can feel Tad's writing come to life, because the reader gives the sentences the space and the speed they need. At least this is my first impression, and now I'm very much looking forward to listening to the whole thing.

Firsfron of Ronchester · 2013-03-03 03:41:44

ylvs wrote:
It is not. Everybody pronouncing y as i does not make it right. I know because I fought the battle of letting people pronounce my name right for ages - gave up though in the meantime and just let them call me Ilva instead of Ülva ...

Wait... your name is not pronounced like "Ill-vuh" (rhymes with "hill the")?

*dies*

Okay, how do you pronounce Ü or Y?

Kenan wrote:
Well, I am looking at some names, and all these I pronounce with Y (ü)

Brynioch
Hernystir
Gwythinn
Llythinn
Dypnir
Elysia
Hylissa
Charystra

Not me. My pronunciations are probably wrong, but I've stuck with them almost 25 years now.
Brynioch rhymes with "dry my rock"
Hernystir rhymes with "burn knee purr"
Gwythinn rhymes with "within"
Llythinn rhymes with "within"
Dypnir rhymes with "rip ear"
Elysia rhymes with "fell hiss me uh"
Hylissa rhymes with "my hiss uh"
Charystra rhymes with "bar wrist uh"

I use J- (not dj-) before another vowel, or after

Yistrin
Briseyu
Jenjiyana
Likimeya
Yizashi
Ruyan
Yis-...

You mean like 'J' for 'Y'? Or 'Y' for 'J'? *confused* I only substitute a 'Y' sound for 'J' in, like, 'Jorngrun' and 'Jarnauga'

For some reason in "Pryrates" I use the english ai-diphtong. maybe because he's evil and it sounds angrier to say "ai" ;)

My pronunciation is "pry-RAH-tez", rhymes with "dry rot fez".

Consider this: English pronunciation is very complicated and without strong rules. Why introduce the letter Y in names at all if not to distinguish pronunciation?

Because English-speakers do whatever we want with our letters, especially in names. Oh, that was rhetorical.

Olaf · 2013-03-03 03:53:07

In Pryrates I would always pronounce it like ü. But in Gwythinn I would pronounce it like i. I usually like Fröhlichs readings very much.

In January, I had the pleasure of meeting him in person, when he was doing a reading of the Hobbit together with German literary critic Denis Scheck. He read "Riddles in the Dark" and it was quite a spectacular reading. So much so that I wish he would record the whole book, but since there already is an unabridged recording of the Hobbit (by Gerd Heidenreich, who is also very, very good) that seems unlikely.

This whole discussion makes me want to dive right into Fröhlichs reading, but i have already three unfinished audio books on my ipod, and I would really, really like to finish one of these first:-)

One of them is a new unabridged reading of Marion Zimmer Bradley`s THE MISTS OF AVALON, which will take SOME time to finish.

Olaf · 2013-03-03 04:00:18

BTW, Audible has a different sample

http://www.audible.de/open-player?asin=B00BJMCLFU

Magpie · 2013-03-03 04:14:41

I always try to pronounce names following the rules of the language the book was written in (unless there's a pronunciation guide that says differently.)
I guess I'm not far wrong, since I pronounce them pretty much the same way as Firsfron (except for the ch in Brynioch, which I pronounce the German way.)

ylvs · 2013-03-03 05:19:22

Which is no argument against pronouncing names in a translation according to the rules of that language - hence Erküngard in a German audio book is perfectly fine.

And if there are rules for pronounciation in English I would very much like to know them!

*grins evily*

Magpie · 2013-03-03 05:51:46

ylvs wrote:
Which is no argument against pronouncing names in a translation according to the rules of that language

I suppose it isn't. And it probably only bothers me because I already pronounce them a certain other way in my head.
I suppose that's related to my problem with accents and dialects. If I've read a book in German, I hear the characters speaking Austrian German, so if it's read in a very "German" voice, I just can't listen to it. Same with movies - there are some that I could barely stand watching for that reason.

And if there are rules for pronounciation in English I would very much like to know them!

*grins evily*

Me, too. I'm just guessing! Not just with names, but with real words, too.

ylvs · 2013-03-03 06:12:01

Magpie wrote:
Me, too. I'm just guessing! Not just with names, but with real words, too.

Same here. It took me ages to find out how sword was pronounced just to name one of them ...

Olaf · 2013-03-03 07:01:49

ylvs wrote:
Which is no argument against pronouncing names in a translation according to the rules of that language - hence Erküngard in a German audio book is perfectly fine.

Interesting:-)
To me, Erküngard sounds just wrong, as I always mentally correct it to Erkinguard.

ylvs · 2013-03-03 09:36:37

Why?

The letter is y pronounced Üpsilon not Ipsilon, the famous magazine was Üps not Ips, I see no reason for an I-sound here. Can't think of a German word with an y in the middle at the moment so I might be proven wrong then ...

Tad Williams

Tad Williams' Message Board

#1 2012-08-19 01:37:59

German MS&T audiobooks

#2 2012-12-13 14:56:00

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#3 2012-12-13 17:04:35

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#4 2012-12-13 22:45:42

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#5 2012-12-14 05:01:39

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#6 2013-01-25 17:14:49

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#7 2013-01-25 17:20:13

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#8 2013-03-02 15:53:23

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#9 2013-03-02 16:11:43

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#10 2013-03-02 16:34:10

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#11 2013-03-03 01:20:56

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#12 2013-03-03 01:35:14

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

Magpie wrote:

#13 2013-03-03 02:39:14

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

ylvs wrote:

Magpie wrote:

#14 2013-03-03 02:56:03

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#15 2013-03-03 03:09:41

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

Olaf wrote:

#16 2013-03-03 03:38:06

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

Olaf wrote:

#17 2013-03-03 03:41:44

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

ylvs wrote:

Kenan wrote:

#18 2013-03-03 03:53:07

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#19 2013-03-03 04:00:18

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#20 2013-03-03 04:14:41

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#21 2013-03-03 05:19:22

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

#22 2013-03-03 05:51:46

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

ylvs wrote:

#23 2013-03-03 06:12:01

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

Magpie wrote:

#24 2013-03-03 07:01:49

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

ylvs wrote:

#25 2013-03-03 09:36:37

Re: German MS&T audiobooks

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