All the Sentence Is a Stage – the Accusative

A fence at the building site of the Staatsoper where a renovation has been under way for some time. The poster with an image of the Staatsoper orchestra was beautified during the night by urban jesters.

A sentence is a stage. Nouns act and collide. They scream, talk, listen, ask, respond, question, emphasize, receive love and hate, return love and hate, point fingers or lift their arms in self-defense, engaging in an eternal conflict between subject and object. The subject possesses the verb and the object receives the action. If the object or the subject is masculine, the change of one letter in the article can change the entire meaning of the sentence.

The subject: der Sänger.
The verb: grüßen.
The object: der Kapellmeister.

Curtain up.

Enter: der Sänger.

Is that a sentence?

No, der Sänger needs to act or to be acted upon. Der Sänger, still free and unattached, chooses the first option and he chooses a verb.

Enter: grüßen (to greet).

We must conjugate to complete the sentence.

Der Sänger grüßt.

We call this the “nominative case”. Nominative stems from the Latin word “nominativus” (to name). A case describes the role that a noun plays in a sentence and its relationship to the verb and to other nouns.

In the nominative case, article, noun and verb are in agreement.

Der Sänger grüßt. Das Publikum schläft. Die Regisseurin schimpft.

schlafen = to sleep; schimpfen = to scold

Enter: der Kapellmeister.

Now, there are two characters on the stage: der Sänger and der Kapellmeister. Both have to assume their roles either to be the subject or to be the object. Because der Sänger was first (of course) having grabbed the verb grüßen, the Kapellmeister has to be the object. The greeting is aimed at him. There is nothing he can do. He represents the second case in the German language, the “accusative case.”

Accusative is as accusatory as it sounds. The noun in accusative is at the receiving end of the statement. Accusative stems from the Latin “accusativus” (to accuse, to cause something).

To mark his role as an object, we must change the article of der Kapellmeister. Only then is the sentence complete and correct.

Der Sänger grüßt den Kapellmeister.

Applause.

Once the article has changed from der to den, we can switch.

Den Kapellmeister grüßt der Sänger.

Standing ovation.

In an intriguing twist of the plot, subject and object changed their position but not their meaning! Der Sänger is still greeting den Kapellmeister even if the Kapellmeister is number one in the sentence.

Note: It is not the position in the sentence that makes the Kapellmeister an object like it would be in an English sentence. It is the article den – even less, it is this little letter n that replaces r in the masculine article.

This change of the article in the accusative case applies only to the masculine noun and has to be consistent with the indefinite article (ein, einen), the negative indefinite (kein, keinen), possessive pronouns (mein, meinen, dein, etc.), demonstrative pronouns (dieser, diesen) etc.

What if der Sänger aims his greeting at a feminine noun, a neuter noun or even at a plural?

Nothing will change.

Der Sänger grüßt die Regisseurin.

Der Sänger grüßt das Publikum.

Der Sänger grüßt die Freunde.

A certain context can make us switch the positions of subject and object.

Die Regisseurin grüßt der Sänger.

Das Publikum grüßt der Sänger.

It still means that the singer is greeting the female director and the audience. Who greets whom can easily be detected by looking at the article of the masculine noun. If it is not den, but der then the noun is the subject, no matter where it is placed in the sentence. Of course, you have to wait until the speaker is finished and hope that he or she does not change his or her mind in mid-sentence.
Next update: Sunday, September 2^st .

denn, doch, arg – Particles in Rosenkavalier, Part 2

Körnerpark, Berlin-Neukölln

We continue with act 2 and act 3 of the Rosenkavalier, shining light on words that emphasize the attitude or feeling of the speaker or singer. These words are called particles or die Partikeln. When the word denn is not busy as a conjunction (denn = because), it works as an intensifier, especially when sparks of love fly between Octavian and Sophie.

OCTAVIAN

Ich war ein Bub’, da hab’ ich die noch nicht gekannt. Wer bin denn ich? Wie komm’ denn ich zu ihr? Wie kommt denn sie zu mir?

It hits him three times. And three times the particle denn stands for amazement, surprise and a little bit confusion. Here, denn is nothing but dizziness.

Moments later denn takes a slightly different role. Together with doch it tells the singer that Octavian scolds Sophie benevolently. Both, denn and doch say, “Don’t be silly”. Sophie has been telling him that she would put up with insult and contempt (die Ungebühr) if another woman who thinks that she is better than her (die sich besser dünkt) tries to take him away.

OCTAVIAN

Wie kann Sie denn nur denken, dass man Ihr mit Ungebühr begegnen wird, da Sie doch immer die Schönste, die Allerschönste sein wird.

The rest is history. We know how it will go. At the end, Sophie gets Octavian, and the Marschallin lets him go – with gar. This particle intensifies as well. It is a close relative of sehr (very) and from the southern regions of the German-speaking world. We find gar usually in connection with nicht forming the aquivalent of “not at all”.

Das habe ich gar nicht gesagt = I didn’t say that at all.

It functions as an intensifier with the negative article kein.

Wir haben gar kein Klavier im Proberaum = I am surprised that we don’t have a piano in the rehearsal room.

The Marschallin approaches Sophie ignoring Octavian.

MARSCHALLIN (to Sophie)

So schnell hat Sie ihn gar so lieb?

(You fell in love with him so quickly and so, so much?)

SOPHIE

Ich weiss nicht, was Euer Gnaden meinen mit der Frag’.

MARSCHALLIN

Ihr blass Gesicht gibt schon die rechte Antwort drauf.

SOPHIE

Wär’ gar kein Wunder, wenn ich blass bin, Euer Gnaden. (This is really, really no wonder that I am pale.) Hab’ einen grossen Schreck erlebt mit dem Herrn Vater…

Next update: Sunday, August 26^th .

Der Rosenkavalier through Particles, Part I

View from Konzerthaus, Gendarmenmarkt

They are the dark matter of language. They are everywhere, in almost every sentence. Although difficult to detect they reveal how we really feel and think. They consist of tiny little words passing our lips when we speak (or sing) but they make a huge impact on how the listeners perceive us. In German they are always in lower case and the only words that never change, never decline. We call them die Partikel (plural: die Partikeln), in English “particle”.

There are several types of particles:

Die Gradpartikeln like besonders, sehr, wenig, ganz, etwas, that describe the intensity of an activity,

Die Fokuspartikeln like auch, sonst, nur, sogar, that emphasize a certain part of the sentence.

Modal particles (die Modalpartikeln) might interest us especially because they inform the listener about the attitude and the feeling of the speaker (or singer). Naturally, libretti are full with Modalpartikeln like ja, doch, so, bloss, denn etc.

It seems to me that the language is richer with Modalpartikeln in the southern part of the German-speaking world, perhaps because of the more extroverted nature of Bavarians and Austrians.

“Der Rosenkavalier” confirms this observation. Richard Strauss’s opera takes place in Vienna. The librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal, himself a poet and playwright from Vienna, peppers the language of each character with a lot of particles making it possible for the singers to explore their character’s emotions not only through the music but also through the words.

Akt 1.

liebkosen = to caress, to cuddle; schmeißen = to throw, der Degen = rapier

 Nach einer wunderbaren Nacht liebkosen sich die Marschallin und ihr junger Geliebter Octavian im Bett. Es klingelt.

MARSCHALLIN

Schnell, da versteck’ Er sich! Das Frühstück ist’s.

OCTAVIAN

(versteckt sich hinter einer Wand)

MARSCHALLIN

Schmeiß’ Er doch den Degen hinters Bett.

OCTAVIAN

(versteckt den Degen.)

The Marschallin uses the particle doch to signal impatience and worry.

Die Marschallin hört Pferde und Leute auf dem Hof. Sie fragt Octavio, ob er auch etwas hört.

OCTAVIAN

Ja freilich hör’ ich was, aber muss es denn dein Mann sein!? Denk’ dir doch, wo der ist: im Raitzenland, noch hinterwärts von Esseg.

The denn shows that he is carefree. He believes another person is arriving. He tells the Marschallin through the particle doch that she must not worry.

der Neureiche = nouveau riche, versprechen = to promise, schicken = to send, der Spiegel = mirror

Octavian hat recht. Nicht der Feldmarschall kommt, sondern Baron Ochs von Lerchenau. Der Baron bittet die Marschallin um einen Brautwerber. Der Brautwerber soll der jungen Sophie, der Tochter des Neureichen Faninal, eine silberne Rose bringen. Diese Rose ist ein Zeichen für das Interesse des Barons Ochs, sie zu heiraten. Die Marschallin verspricht dem Baron, Octavio als Brautwerber zu schicken. Ochs freut sich und geht. Für einen Moment ist die Marschallin allein. Sie sieht in den Spiegel und sie weiß: Die Zeit ist ein “sonderbar’ Ding.”

MARSCHALLIN

Wo ist die jetzt? Ja, such’ dir den Schnee vom vergangenen Jahr! Das sag’ ich so: Aber wie kann das wirklich sein, dass ich die kleine Resi war und dass ich auch einmal die alte Frau sein werd? Die alte Frau, die alte Marschallin! … Wie kann denn das geschehn? (denn = surprised, sentimental, sad – how could that happen?) Wie macht denn das der liebe Gott? (denn – how could the good lord do something so unexpectedly?)

Octavian kommt zurück.

OCTAVIAN

Und du bist traurig!

MARSCHALLIN

Es ist ja schon vorbei. Du weisst ja, wie ich bin. Ein halb Mal lustig, ein halb Mal traurig. Ich kann halt meinen Gedanken nicht kommandier’n.

She cannot control her thoughts. Octavian hears it, and every time you hear the particle halt, it certainly means, “That’s the way it is.”

Stay tuned for Act 2 and 3, and read next Sunday’s update: Der Rosenkavalier through Particles, Part 2.

Giving and Taking Orders – the Imperative

“Seien wir wieder gut” – Heerstraße 2 in Berlin, birthplace of “Ariadne auf Naxos”.

As a singer you either take orders (from the Regisseur) or shout orders (to your entourage) depending on your rank in the hierarchy of the opera world. However, grammar is democratic. Its rules applies to everybody. No matter who you are, you have to know how to form a command or, as the linguists say, an imperative.

If we want to form an imperative we must put the verb in the first position. With second person familiar (du) the verb appears as verb stem only, blunt and without ending. The personal pronoun du disappears.

Mach eine Pause.
Sing!
Lach!

With second person formal (Sie), the word order in imperative is the same. We add a little bit of politeness by including the personal pronoun Sie.

Machen Sie eine Pause.
Singen Sie!
Lachen Sie!

With ihr we drop the personal pronoun again.

Macht eine Pause!
Singt!
Lacht!

In olden times, and certainly in libretti, blue-blooded characters address people of lower class in third person. In this case we conjugate differently but include er, sie, es or man.

In Albert Lortzing’s opera “Zar und Zimmermann” the Russian carpenter Iwanow speaks to the maid Marie while pretending to be the tsar of Russia. He orders her to leave the room by saying, “Man geht hinaus.” Maria understands, and as she is about to leave he calls her back.

“Man bleibt.”

To tease Maria (of course, he is in love with her), Iwanow uses the most distancing pronoun possible, the indefinite pronoun man that stands for everyone, no one specifically. He doesn’t even form a real imperative, but simply states a fact. To make an imperative he should have said, “man gehe hinaus” and “man bleibe”. Today we would say, “Gehen Sie hinaus” and “Bleiben Sie”.

The verb sein changes for second person formal (Sie).
Seien Sie nett.

First person singular, familiar (du):
Sei still!

Second person plural, familiar (ihr):

Seid nicht so dumm!
After an argument with his music teacher, the character of the young composer in “Ariadne auf Naxos” asks in a conciliatory tone to be good again.

The aria is called, “Seien wir wieder gut!”

The character introduces another level of imperative, directed at wir, the first person plural.

The imperative with wir is less a command, more a suggestion.

Trinken wir einen Tee.

Es ist langweilig (boring). Singen wir jetzt.

Next update: Sunday, August 12^th .