Speaking of plagiarism -- a query for Dmitri

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Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 7:42 AM

Subject: Speaking of plagiarism -- a query for Dmitri

An interesting example of how tricky the concept of "plagiarism" can be came up recently in a private conversation with Jansy in Brazil. We were discussing Lohengrin as a grail story and Jansy told me how funny she found Nabokov's joke about missing the swan (-boat) in Laughter in the Dark.

But that's not Nabokov's joke, it is a famous anecdote from the career of the wonderful tenor Leo Slezak (1873 - 1946). I thought it would be interesting to compare the two jokes and to ask Dmitri if he (almost as big an opera singer as the 6'7" Slezak) can cast any light on the subject.

Laughter in the Dark:

Miller licked his chops and sat down again. Then he smiled, and in a new good-natured manner launched into a funny story about some friend of his, an opera singer who once, in the part of Lohengrin, being tight, failed to board the swan in time and waited hopefully for the next one.

What Time's the Next Swan? by Walter Slezak (as told to Smith-Corona Model 88E)

Papa told ... about a Lohengrin performance. It was just before his first entrance. He was ready to step into the boat, which, drawn by a swan was to take him on stage. Somehow the stagehand on the other side got his signals mixed, started pulling, and the swan left without Papa. He quietly turned around [to the audience] and said: "What time's the next swan?"

Carolyn