on 2/8/08 1:08 PM, David Pickett at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> I chanced to be listening to one of the Dallas/Fort Worth classical
> music stations this morning when the presenter announced "The Merry
> Wives of Windsor Overture by Nicolai Otto" (sic) and followed it by a
> piece by Carl Reinickey (Reinecke -- pronounced to rhyme with
> Mickey).  There is still an ongoing collection to be made of these howlers.

What drives me nuts is the inconsistency in pronouncing composers' names,
especially Bach and Mozart.

The Johann they get right, and the Bach is a reasonable facsimile, although
the "ch" is usually too hard. The abomination is the mangling of his middle
name, which comes out "Sibasstyen," with the second syllable pronounced like
the fish. Why not say "Johnny Brook" and be done with it?

Mozart's first name almost invariably is Anglicized also. Might as well say
his last name as "Mose-art" if you're going to do that.

What's even more ridiculous is the affected upper-crust British accent
sported by these announcers. We're in North Texas, for God's sake. Paul
Fussell would love it.

Sheesh.

-- 
James R. (Jay) McCarty, MD
Fort Worth, TX

"Sine arte, scientia nihil est"