De fortabte spillemænd

by William Heinesen

Tre brødre skildres som repræsentanter for det menneskelige midt i pengestræb og religiøs fanatisme.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Danish, Novels, Literature, 20th Century, Classics

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

William Heinesen is the best-known writer that the Faroe Islands have produced. He wrote mainly in Danish, but all of his books, which are set in the Faroe Islands, have been translated into his native Faroese. When Heinesen heard rumours that he was to win the Nobel Prize he requested that his nomination be withdrawn, discussing his choice to write in Danish with a mixture of bitterness and regret: "Faroese was at one time held in low regard - it's fair to say that the language was kept down. For all that, Faroese has generated remarkable literature, and it would have been right to award the Nobel Prize to an author who had written in Faroese. If I were given the prize, then a Danish writer would have got it, and Faroese literary endeavours would have been dealt a heavy blow". He died aged 91.

Reviews

[Vit Babenco · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel is built as a string quartet – it consists of four movements.
The memories of childhood… The magical music of an Aeolian harp played by cherubs…

One windy afternoon many years ago, a man and three boys sat up in this tower listening to the capriciously varying sounds of an Aeolian harp…
They sat staring from the belfry lights out into a windswept space where huge solitary clouds scudded past with an observant mien, as though they, too, were listening to the distant music. The three brothers never forgot this wonderful afternoon in later days, and as a grown man Sirius gave it a lasting memorial in his poem “And cherubim passed by”.

All three boys have grown up amateur musicians… The oldest, Moritz – a ferryman and violinist, the middle one, Sirius – an idler and poet, and the youngest, Kornelius – a compositor in the newspaper and composer… They played in a quartet…

Kornelius was pale and sweating with emotion, sitting there with his projecting lower lip and his wispy hair hanging down over his glasses. Sirius sat with his head on one side, fondly stroking his violin. He was actually only a moderately good violinist and often the object of irritated remarks on the part of the other musicians.
But Moritz, the leader, sat bolt upright, and the notes emerged from his instrument like happy glimpses of sunshine.

They and other eccentric beings around them eagerly partake in all the colourful occurrences taking place in the town… The story is rich in music – both sad and merry… And it is rich in events – both strange and extraordinary… The romantic treasure seeking and an odious crime…

The desperate violins of loneliness play, moving and heartrending, and the void’s dull cello pizzicato thumps as in a fever. You are tormented by nightmares and fearful dreams. At times, you are overcome by icy terror.

Music stays with us in joy and in sorrow.

[Kuszma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Néha azért tud érdekesnek, újszerűnek, modernnek tűnni egy szöveg, mert olyan hagyományhoz nyúl vissza, amely számunkra ismeretlen. Heinesen szövege regénynek szabálytalan, anekdotákból építkező, helyenként az életrajzok hangütését, máshol az élőszó ritmusát intonáló munka, amelynek gyökerei alighanem a feröeri balladai hagyományban, valamint a jellegzetes feröeri előadásmódban (kvöldseta - kb.: esti (együtt-)ülés) keresendő. Ebben a világban az antialkoholista liga és az iszákosok csetepatéja az istenek eposzi csatájának karikatúrája, az álnok cselszövő Matte-Gok Loki gyengébbik reinkarnációja, és egyáltalán: minden mintha mitológiává akarná kinőni magát, csak éppen beveri a fejét a plafonba, mielőtt igazán impozánsra terebélyesedne.

Nehéz megmondani, milyen a hangulata. Egyszerre komikus és tragikus, de egyik sem igazán - mintha nem állna rendelkezésére elég tér, hogy bármelyik irányba kifussa magát. És igazából a cselekmény minden komikuma és tragikuma is ebből fakad: a tér hiányából. Hogy itt van ez a Feröer nevezetű csöpp kavics valahol a hideg, viharos óceán közepén, ami egyszerűen túl kicsi ahhoz, hogy a nagy lelkek elférjenek rajta. Aki többre vágyik, aki magasra szárnyalna, annak nincs itt helye. Mert ha marad, a lelke unalmában önmagát emészti el. El kell menni, ha másért nem, azért, hogy visszajöhessünk.

[Mark McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Musicians by William Heinesen is a look back into the early years of the twentieth century when the alcohol prohibition movement that was sweeping the world made its way to the distant Faroe Islands.

It's not only alcohol that winds up being banned, but also music and joie de vivre. Apparently these were inextricably bound -- either in Heinesen's mind, or in the minds of the Baptists that powered the prohibition movement.

So in a way The Lost Musicians is about the ascendency of religious fundamentalism and the gloom and hypocrisy that attends it. And in another way, it's not about that at all. Even though prohibition drives the plot it remains hidden for much of the book, only to pop out at various climatic moments.

The real day-to-day (page-to-page?) stars of The Lost Musicians are its quirky characters and their love lives; their odd experiences and beliefs. The unnamed city of The Lost Musicians is based on Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. Torshavn was the world of Heinesen's childhood and became the world of his adult imagination, set free in this tale.

So we get characters like "Ankersen the Bank", the city's banker-turned-evangelist, "Ura the Brink" a prostitute-turned-seer; her son, the evil Matte-Gok with his nefarious plans; the three brother musicians, Moritz, Sirius and young Kornelius, a rough sea dog "Ole Brandy"; a taciturn alcoholic dwarf the "Crab King" etc, etc.

Watching these figures from Heinesen's past bounce off one another was for me the chief pleasure of the book. Also the sea was, as you might expect, a central character of the book. It's used constantly as a backdrop and is vital to the lives of almost everyone in the story. Some of Heinesen's most beautiful descriptions are of the sea and its moods.

It was interesting to learn that William Heinesen was also a well-known painter, one of his works graced the cover of the edition I read. And with all the music in this book (including specific pieces and performance techniques) he must have been a musician as well. He was also a famous poet (like one of his main characters, Sirius).

In my experience poets write very beautiful and very quirky novels. The Lost Musicians is definitely one of them. I enjoyed this glimpse into the past, into a lost, art-filled, sea-centered world.

[Andy Weston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable change from the sort of books I usually read, a mixture of fascinating characters, satire and of course, music. The biggest appeal to me though, was its setting, an unnamed town in an unnamed tiny country in the North Atlantic - but it is no secret that it is quite recognisable as Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.

[Oriente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heinesen az egyetlen magyarul megjelent feröeri író, bár ez nem is olyan meglepő, tekintve, hogy egy kevesebb, mint 50.000 lélekszámmal bíró szigetcsoportról beszélünk, melynek lakosai főleg halászattal és kereskedelemmel foglalkoznak. A feröeri irodalmi nyelv a 20. század előtt ismeretlen; a Feröer szigetek csendes zárványként kikristályosodott kultúráját leginkább folklórszövegek őrzik.

A könyv olvasmányélménye is inkább a hely szelleméből fakad, a leírásokból és a északi hangulatok gazdag megjelenítéséből. Mindeközben a történetfüzér bájos hétköznapiságának unalmát a csattogó vitorlák és sirályvijjogás sem tudják túlkiabálni.
Mert miről is szól ez a regény?
A muzsikusok egy szélhárfaépítő-mester zenei tehetséggel megáldott fiai: a tengerész Moritz, a költő-tanító Sirius és nyomdai szedő Kis-Kornelius. Az ő édes-szomorú történetük, néhány évtizedet átívelő családi krónikájuk ez a századelőről. Na meg a barátaik, szomszédaik, szerelmeik, mestereik, hivatalnokaik, papjaik, térítőik története, szépen egybefonódva egy tökéletesen zárt kis közösségben. Lakodalmak és halotti torok, nagy ivászatok és verekedések, viharok és tengeri balesetek - a hétköznapi vigasságokat és drámákat pedig meg-megtöri egy lányszöktetés vagy pénztárfiókrablás botránya.
Hőseink elég dicstelenül végzik be földi pályafutásokat, de a regény mégsem nyomasztó, inkább derűs, olyasféle folytonosságot közvetít családról, barátságról, közösségi művészetről, mint a hullámok és a gleccserek szűnni nem akaró mozgása, amely a szigeteket is formálta és formálja ma is.

A szöveg nagyon igényes és szép, teljesen áthatja a zeneiség is, de kicsit olyan volt olvasni, mint egy kellemes kamaradarabot hallgatni, ami közben csak el-elkalandozik a figyelmünk.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if something was lost in translation but this one read a bit flat.
The book traces a number of characters living in the 1920s, probably in the Faroe Islands. In the main the men are dreamers, musicians, poets and drunkards. There are a couple of rogues and cads and plenty of hard luck stories. The women seem to have the backbone but are pushed aside in line with the times. The rise of prohibition, including removing all sense of fun, is slowly rolling along.
The book reads like a series of isolated events. Each short chapter looks at a specific character and event and many chapters seem unconnected. Nonetheless the author has invented a novel world with a novel cast full love with music and poetry.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The following internet links will give you more information and also provide you with lovely videos of the Faroe Islands.

William Heinesen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hei...
http://www.danishliterature.info/2d9000c...

Faroe Islands
http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/Faroe_Islan...
www.faroeislands.com
http://www.youtube.com (in the search box put "Faroe Islands".) There are many lovely videos of the islands
http://www.youtube.com (in the search box put "Eivor Palsdottir" and then choose the video "Faroe Islands My Mother") to hear a modern day singer singing in the Faroese language.

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugljúf saga eftir Heinesen. Honum tekst á einstakan máta að lýsa færeysku samfélagi og einstaklingum svo að það stendur lesandum ljóslifandi fyrir augum. Heinesen dregur fram félagslegan ójöfnuð og gagnrýni en um leið eru hér engar hetjur. Persónurnar eru allar breyskar og örlögin oft á tíðum grimm. Eftirminnileg og falleg saga.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A distinct portrait of a particular society

[Karin Suur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nautisin lugemist ja oleks heameelega 5 punkti andnud, lõpu pärast võtsin punkti maha.

[Thomas Haaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving, many-faceted instant classic, written in delightfully eloquent Danish.

[McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lost Musicians was the only Faroese novel I could locate through my library before traveling to the Faroe Islands, and is apparently one of its most well known. William Heinesen, who I learned during my visit was also a painter and poet, tells the story of three brothers in the early 1900s who are well-meaning but sort of meandering souls; they drink, have trouble keeping jobs, associate with strange people on the outskirts of society, and above all love music. This novel is not quick or efficient or direct - it reminded me very much of Icelandic novels like Independent People, taking the time to build a picture of the entire community in order to tell a story at both the microcosmic and macrocosmic level simultaneously.

For ultimately The Lost Musicians is a story about how to build a meaningful life, and what matters most: "Freedom and happiness come only from within oneself. Purify your soul, become humble of heart, be good. Go and sell everything that you own and give the money to the poor... clean out the dung stable that is your soul and make it fit for the only happiness there is, the only freedom there is: the peace induced by a good deed." Within the context of the story of all these misfits wandering around trying to survive, such insights do not come across as cheesy, but as hard-earned truths from people who lived hard lives. There are moments of beauty, which are also hard-earned for the reader who maintains patience through dozens of side-stories to reach them:

"And days and nights roll on, the mangle rolls on, the mill of time grinds on. It grinds out new events, or sometimes merely the gray dust of which humdrum existence is composed. Today is mercilessly ground into yesterday, yesterday into the day before yesterday, and the day before yesterday into the gray mass of the past; this in the course of time can be condensed and take on a historical perspective but just as often it dissipates into darkness and myth, bits and pieces of songs and ballads, and mysteries that will never be solved."

[MaryEllen Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unusual and intriguing look at the world of quirky characters who live in the Faroe Islands. Possibly because of the translation into English it reads without affect, but this adds to the charm and brings out the satire. Music and the sea are also major characters with fascinating descriptions of both. The world that William Heinesen creates reminded me of Louise Penny's Three Pines, Halldor Laxness Independent People and Fredrik Backman's Anxious People. His style can be quite poetic and painterly (I found in another review that the author is both a poet and painter which explains this style. The people in the community grow up, fall in love, lose love, find fortune/lose fortune, live and die, drink and make music and support one another for/against the prohibitionist/Baptists who are trying to create change in the community. It was difficult at the beginning because of so many characters being introduced in short episodic chapters, but about halfway through the book the various plotlines begin to come together in a more unified way. A thoroughly enjoyable and unusual read!

[Per · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg leste boka på originalspråket, dansk. Det er burlesk historie fra Tórshavn som handler om fire spillemenn, deres familier og noen personer som omgir disse personene. Den inneholder bl.a. motsetningen mellom mellom misjons- og avholdsbevegelse og verdslig musikk, drikking og fyll og dans utgjør en viktig del i tilværelsen. Den inneholder også ulykkelig kjærlighet, drap og selvdrap og falskspilleri. Kvinner spiller en underordnet, men viktig rolle. I løpet av romanen er alle spillemennene enten døde eller en sitter i fengsel for en forbrytelse han ikke har begått. Det er mange komiske scener i boka.

[Bodil Sixhøj · Rating 4 out of 5]

De fortabte spillemænd er en broget fortælling om brødrene Moritz, Sirius og Kornelius (sønner af klokkeren Kornelius med vindharperne på kirketårnsloftet), deres venner og familier samt andre i et lille samfund på Færøerne. Brødrene er alle meget musikalske og synger og spiller. Men ellers lever de noget usikkert, midlertidige jobs, dårlige boliger. Men gennem hele romanen, der er delt i fire satser med underkapitler, går en linje af festlige sammenkomster med rigelig spiritus. Derfor spiller den hellige sparekassebestyrer og afholdsbevægelsen også en vigtig rolle. Romanen er fuld af musik, pengemangel, fuldskab, fantasterier, snyd og bedrag, modgang, ulykker og lidt overnaturlige fænomener, og da sproget er fantastisk levende, er man fanget ind.

[Rebecca LT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Den her bog er meget interessant. Jeg kunne godt lide alle de musikale elementer, der forhøjede den satiriske del af bogen. Persongalleriet, der bliver tegnet for læseren, er fuld af mange interessante mennesker, der alle har en rolle at spille (så ingen er glemt).
Den var en lille smule langtrukken, og kunne potentielt være 50 sider kortere uden at det ville gøre nogen forskel.

[Yana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mikkel Bredsgaard Randers · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Bor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Naar aanleiding van een discussie met mijn Faeröerse vriend Andrias gelezen. Ik moet bekennen: het was niet echt interessant.

[Carsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

En fortælling om 5 spillemænd og deres venner og familie. Temaet er Det gode i mennesket og deres kamp imod det onde (indremissionen, grådigheden m.m.) repræsenteret bl.a ved den hellige Sparekassebestyrer Ankersen og hans indremissionske afholdsforening "Ydum". De 5 livsglade spillemænd holder meget at fest, musik og alkohol, hvilket ikke falder i god jord hos Ankersen. Derfor SKAL de omvendes ......

Bogen er delt op i 4 satser som et stykke musik.

Heinesen maler et morsomt og kærligt portræt af de forskellige typer i byen. Han skriver ikke på en fordømmende måde, om de personer som vil de 5 spillemænd det dårligt, men forholder sig neutral og registrerende. Han er mere interesseret i at påpege de alvorlige konsekvenser som ekstrem religiøsitet og grådighed kan afstedkomme.

Man bliver hurtigt suget ind i fortællingen, og fatter hurtigt sympati for spillemændene på den stormombruste ø i Atlanterhavet. Dette er mit første bekendtskab med Heinesen, men bestemt ikke det sidste .... !

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the Faeroe Islands of the early 20th century, The Lost Musicians follows the lives of numerous characters in the islands capital. The pace of life and the pace of the book is slow. The characters meander along, taking pleasure in their families, their surroundings and their music whilst the rise of religious sectarianism and prohibition casts a shadow over events. The translation feels a bit flat, and at times it feels like a serious of loosely connected essays, then when major events happen in the lives of the characters it passes in a couple of phrases and a shrug of the shoulders.

Like other books I have read set in isolated, island communities the environment and atmosphere of the place seeps into the story. Also there are many characteristics and attitudes that I recognise from living in Scotland (particularly around attitudes to music, alcohol and religion). It is all familiar, but through an alien filter.

Interesting, but meandering.

[Keili Klemmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaugel elavhõbehelkjas ilmameres asub väike üksildane tinakarva maa. See pisitilluke kaljutükk on suure merega võrreldes umbes nagu liivatera tantsusaali põrandal. Aga läbi suurendusklaasi paistab see liivaterake ometi terve maailmana, kus on mäed ja orud, väinad ja fjordid ning majad koos väikeste inimestega. Just nii armsalt ja muinasjutuliselt algab jutustus kolmest isemoodi moosekandist vendadest, nende sõpradest ja külarahvast, kes ühel või teisel moel nende elu mõjutasid.
Kirjanik pärineb Sfääri saartelt ja tema looming on mõjutatud sealsest eluolust ja tunnetest.
Raamatul on sümfooniline ülesehitus ja peategelaseks võibki pidada muusikat.
Lugemise lõpuks tundub, justkui oleks raamat traagiline ja osaliste elu lõpeb kurvalt. Siiski jätab kogu raamatu tervikpilt helge ja positiivse emotsiooni.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel in the vein of George Mackay Brown's Greenvoe and others, giving a rich portrait of a place by following multiple characters and their overlapping lives. What kept this from working as well as it might have, though, was how much of it felt like stage-setting or superfluity. Toward the end, plotlines intersect and tension rises as all the characters are touched by central events. But for much of the book there's no sense of connection as whole lines of plot and character develop in what seem like important ways only to vanish without mattering at all later on. So as much as I enjoyed wandering around the world of the story, and as enjoyable as the characters were, I felt like the book could have started later on in the story without missing much.

[Jan Kløvstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein fest av ei bok, delt inn som ein symfoni i fire delar. Kapitteloverskriftane er utruleg gode, menneskekildringane djupsindige og humoristiske. Ei av dei aller ebste bøkene eg har lese!

[Martin Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awfully stilted transation. Gave up after 100 pages.

[Tanja (Litteraturhesten)]

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