Pronunciation question: Dame Ethel SMYTH [and her music]

[Lance]

The English composer's name ... I've heard it both ways: SMITH (in the traditional sense) and SMEYETH. It would seem to me the proper way to say it is as SMEYETH (eye, like our eyes). Anybody know for sure?

[jserraglio]

The English composer's name ... I've heard it both ways: SMITH (in the traditional sense) and SMEYETH. It would seem to me the proper way to say it is as SMEYETH (eye, like our eyes). Anybody know for sure?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iik57JL6xvo

Short i. If it were Smythe, then long i.

[Febnyc]

Hmm - Wikipedia shows the phonetic thusly: Dame Ethel Mary Smyth DBE (smaɪθ)

Wiki further indicates that the "aɪ" relates to the strong vowel sound in "price" and "pie."

So, from that it appears her name would be pronounced "Sm-eye-th. With a long "i".

However, there are a number of other references on the web which indicate that it should be "Smith." Many of them. So, Wiki seems to have it wrong - not the first time for sure.

I believe Signor Serraglio is correct.

[jserraglio]

You say either, I say either
You say neither and I say neither
Either, either, neither, neither
Let's call the whole thing off

You like potato and I like potato
You like tomato and I like tomato
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto
Let's call the whole thing off

But if you go for oysters and I go for ersters
I'll order oysters and cancel the ersters
For we know, we need each other
So we better call the calling off, off

[Febnyc]

[Lance]

Love it! I will go with the LONG "I" for Dame Ethel Smyth. Thank you for the input.

I still say po-TAY-to, or to-MAY-to. I say EEEther, not eyether. And so it goes!

[barney]

In the antipodes, so far as I know. we've always said Sm-eye-th. So it's almost certainly wrong!

[mikealdren]

In the antipodes, so far as I know. we've always said Sm-eye-th. So it's almost certainly wrong!

No you're right, in England, it's always "Sm-eye-th", I've never heard it otherwise.

[Belle]

What about when it has an "e" on the end of it? I thought that was the cue to lengthen out the vowel. Ergo, "smythe" as in "eye" but without the "e" I'd say it's "smith". Sometimes "smyth" is a fancy way of writing "smith". Somebody, somewhere along the line, has changed the "i" to a "y". Maybe they didn't think the smith - blacksmith, wordsmith, shoesmith - was classy enough. People have done that through the ages.

Then there's the difference between American and English pronunciation.

[Febnyc]

Who you gonna believe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iik57JL6xvo

or

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... sMm1-A4_37

[Lance]

The guy pronounces it like Et-hel Smeth. What goes?

[Febnyc]

The guy pronounces it like Et-hel Smeth. What goes?

Maybe he's from Liverpool?

[Febnyc]

The guy pronounces it like Et-hel Smeth. What goes?

Maybe he's from Liverpool? Or Auckland?

[barney]

What about when it has an "e" on the end of it? I thought that was the cue to lengthen out the vowel. Ergo, "smythe" as in "eye" but without the "e" I'd say it's "smith". Sometimes "smyth" is a fancy way of writing "smith". Somebody, somewhere along the line, has changed the "i" to a "y". Maybe they didn't think the smith - blacksmith, wordsmith, shoesmith - was classy enough. People have done that through the ages.

Then there's the difference between American and English pronunciation.

That would normally be the grammatical rule, but when it comes to names people do odd things. I know a few.
And of course there's my own name. It's spelled b-a-r-n-e-y but it's pronounced Your Highness. Few people know that, and no one honours it, including me, but so be it. It'd be fun to book a restaurant as "your highness" though.

[Belle]

Oh, I WAS confused; I thought Barney meant 'pugilistic tendency'!!

[barney]

Who you gonna believe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iik57JL6xvo

or

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... sMm1-A4_37

Tht first one has to be having a laugh. Or he's from Ulan Bator.

[maestrob]

Folks, I learned in linguistics classes at Villanova that the three spellings are pronounced thusly:

Smith (as expected)

Smyth (Sm-eye-th with a de-voiced or dry "th" at the end)

Smythe (Sm-eye-the) with a voiced "th"

[Belle]

Folks, I learned in linguistics classes at Villanova that the three spellings are pronounced thusly:

Smith (as expected)

Smyth (Sm-eye-th with a de-voiced or dry "th" at the end)

Smythe (Sm-eye-the) with a voiced "th"

Yes, that's exactly what I thought when awake last night. The hard and soft "th" is the key - the latter like German pronunciation, in a way. (Dear me, how tragic that I think about things like this when I have insomnia!! Better than right now when I'm reviewing a law research project and it's 2.44am!)

[Lance]

In attempting to acquaint myself more with Dame Ethel Smyth's music, recently listening to a recording of her songs and ballads. The recording on SOMM [0611] features 65 minutes of material: Four Songs for Voice and Chamber orchestra; Songs and Ballades, Op. 3; Lieder, op. 4 (5 songs); and Three Songs. I thought the best here were her Lieder, Op. 4, wherein we find her strong German (Leipzig training) influence. Pianist Elizabeth Marcus provides immaculate accompaniments throughout. Lucy Stevens is the contralto soloist, the disc also features the Berkeley Ensemble, Odaline de la Martinez, conductor. The Lieder, Op. 4 set proved to be the most interesting for me. The recital was well recorded and offers a completely natural sound in these 2919 recordings. An unusual recital of music that is not performed nor recorded quite enough. You will want to follow the texts in the booklet as the diction is not as clear as one might want.