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Re: uproar over Fauns and Nijinky
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Carolyn Kunin [ on "VN's references to Arcadian faunlets & nymphets, catamites and his Lolita "brood"... Diaghilev's very real ones caused, apparently, less scandal... In both cases we find pedophilia but the destinies of young boys and girls seem to arouse different reactions from spectators."] No pedohilia in L'apres midi d'une faune - - [...]. The papers were also in an uproar over the scandalous "filthy, bestial and indecent eroticism."
JM: I had in mind the reviews I read about the film, "Nijinsky" - built on biographical information about Diaghilev, Nijinski and some other young dancers the impresario had chosen after Nijinski became to old to dance as "Joseph" - with the reception of VN's fictional Lolita in novel and movies. I forgot to add that Nabokov's fiction appears to be "more real than life" in its effects.
In relation to "L'apres midi d'un faune" ( une faune?), I praised George de la Pena's astounding re-impersonation* and quoted some of VN's references to faunlets. Excluding these items, you are right: there is no hint of pedophilia in this ballet, only a disappointed faun copulating with a scarf, instead of a nymph.
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* - One of the reviewers mentioned that de la Pena, when asked about how he approached the bisexuality of the Nijinsky role, answered"When you read Greek literature, you come across many examples of the liaison of an older man teaching a younger man about life -- it was very common then and has been throughout the ages, so for me there was nothing unusual in it."
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JM: I had in mind the reviews I read about the film, "Nijinsky" - built on biographical information about Diaghilev, Nijinski and some other young dancers the impresario had chosen after Nijinski became to old to dance as "Joseph" - with the reception of VN's fictional Lolita in novel and movies. I forgot to add that Nabokov's fiction appears to be "more real than life" in its effects.
In relation to "L'apres midi d'un faune" ( une faune?), I praised George de la Pena's astounding re-impersonation* and quoted some of VN's references to faunlets. Excluding these items, you are right: there is no hint of pedophilia in this ballet, only a disappointed faun copulating with a scarf, instead of a nymph.
.............................................................................................................................
* - One of the reviewers mentioned that de la Pena, when asked about how he approached the bisexuality of the Nijinsky role, answered"When you read Greek literature, you come across many examples of the liaison of an older man teaching a younger man about life -- it was very common then and has been throughout the ages, so for me there was nothing unusual in it."
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/