Afrikaans Art Song Literature: A Translation and Pronunciation Guide

By Forbay and Christian Bester

Afrikaans art song literature is a fascinating but neglected genre, largely inaccessible to non-native speakers outside South Africa. For the first time, this translation and pronunciation guide makes Afrikaans art songs available to an English-speaking audience. Compiled by two music scholars and professional performers, it provides original International Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions and word-for-word translations in English. The selection represents some of the most beloved and beautiful Afrikaans poems from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, set by highly respected composers.

As well as the poems themselves, the authors give a brief history of Afrikaans art song literature, information on influential composers and poets, and useful footnotes about the unique geography, culture, landscapes, and peoples of South Africa. The book concludes with a pedagogical lyric diction guide and lists of resources for obtaining sheet music. Afrikaans Art Song Literature is an invaluable book for all musicians who want to perform or teach this little-known repertoire worthy of inclusion among the greats of the art song literature canon.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0197660827
• ISBN13: 9780197660829
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.1" x 10.0"