The Masquerade: A Poetic Drama in Four Acts
About this ebook
In 1830s St. Petersburg, aristocrat Arbenin and Nina, his wife, attend a masked ball. In a tragic case of mistaken identity, Arbenin convinces himself that his wife is romantically involved with Prince Zvezdich. Arbenin is tragically blinded by jealousy and pride, and then a disaster happens...
A celebration and examination of a classic work from the Golden Age of Russian culture, the first poetic translation by Russian American professor Alfred E. Karpovich brings The Masquerade to a new, English-speaking audience. A work of great importance, this drama examines the collision between true love and the societal prejudice of honor and dignity. In translation, it casts an inquisitive eye at the state of human dignity in the twenty-first century.
Praise for The Masquerade translation
The following is in reference to Dr. Alfred E. Karpovichs translation of the great Russian writer and poet Mikhail Lermontovs play :Masquerade.
Thoroughly versed in classical Russian, I am a great admirer of Lermontovs works. I approached the translation with a feeling of skepticism, but was literally knocked over by the translation.
Mr. Karpovichs understanding of Lermontov and fine-tuning of the English version are truly amazing.
It is my pleasure to give this work the highest possible recommendation (and I hope to see it on stage).
Sincerely yours,
Nicholas Bobrinskoy GDOOSJ
(formerly of Marymount Manhattan College Faculty, NYS; St Peters College, author of The Golden Age of Russian Literature; Pronounce Russian Correctly and of many articles & Interviews in USA & Russia)
About the author
Translator Alfred E. Karpovich earned his advanced degrees in Moscow and taught and performed linguistic research in Leningrad and New York. He worked as a translator for the Soviet Foreign Relations Department and his translation work has been widely published. He retired in 2000.
Playwright Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov (1814–1841) was one of Russia’s greatest poets and writers. He was homeschooled, later attended boarding school with the sons of nobility, and continued his education at Moscow University, where he started to write poetry under the influence of Lord Byron.
Translator Alfred E. Karpovich earned his advanced degrees in Moscow and taught and performed linguistic research in Leningrad and New York. He worked as a translator for the Soviet Foreign Relations Department and his translation work has been widely published. He retired in 2000.
Playwright Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov (1814–1841) was one of Russia’s greatest poets and writers. He was homeschooled, later attended boarding school with the sons of nobility, and continued his education at Moscow University, where he started to write poetry under the influence of Lord Byron.
