I don’t know if this will actually get to you, but I thought it’s worth a try.
I’m a classical violinist and composer living in Paris for the past 11 years, originally from New York.
Recently reunited with an opera-singer friend after 14 years, I was telling her about my most recent projects. And then she forwarded me this entry on the blog about Wilde and Chekhov. I work a lot in the theatre in France and love the relationship between literature and music. The last few years I’ve been working with an older actor who had been with Jean-Louis Barrault’s and Madeleine Renaud’s Company for 10 years, the Comédie Française for 25 and made 5 films with Alain Resnais. I have composed a piece for two violins and narrator based on The Happy Prince that we’ve performed with him in France and we’ve performed also in New York in English. This last year I’ve created “Chekhov Tryptich” a piece for violin, viola and narrator based on three Chekhov short stories. My singer friend was amazed by the coincidence. It seems like you too have been drawn to Wilde and Chekhov. The other musician I work with lives in London most of the time and we’ve been looking to do the piecer in the UK. (he’s currently preparing for Every Good Boy Deserves Favour at the National Theatre) I don’t normally do this, but as I read your entry on Wilde and Chekhov and I saw “Leave a reply” I thought “Why not!”. We’re looking for someone to work with and opportunity to do these works. If you actually get this message and would be interested in knowing more, I would love to share more with you. You can see a little clip of the Chekhov work in french at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxyLU4iRn80 I’ve conceived of these pieces as chamber music – the music is not an illustration or an accompaniment, it is another character, the scenery, the inner life, etc. All born (I hope) out of the stories of these great masters.

Thank you for all that you do.
All my best,
Colin Pip Dixon

I completely agree that language is a living organism and that you should adapt and keep up to date. I love my mother tongue (lovely phrase) language but I fear my English has deteriorated (as has my spelling) and I don’t even speak great Italian because my Italian husband prefers to speak English… I live in a linguistic twilight zone…and have fallen prey to the Anglicization of Italian words and vice versa…oh dear…not much hope for me….and to think I was a Lit grad once upon a time…!

Yours linguistically frustrated but a great lover of the sumptuousness of language!

Dianski

Yet, to believe is one thing, and to hold on is another.

I need to get more strength from art… from the faith in art…

I recall reading in my brother’s Boy’s Own Paper the following reply from an editor to a young writer. Could this be the master Wilde to whom you refer.

WILDE. – No; we only employ the highest available talent and cannot accept such amateur compositions.
(SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1887)

One does hope he persisted and went on to greater things.

I have a huge Hecs debt (Australia) but that only kicks in when I earn above $30,000 & I’m told by my older cousin & friends that uni wasn’t what it used to be , people were actively engaged in other things other than attending lectures. As for the 5th test you can be very happy Stephen as England won but I am very sad.

I don’t twitter but i do use facebook