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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009version vs. rendition for musical performance/song
Which is better: What’s your favorite "version" of the song Wheel in the sky? OR What’s your favorite "rendition" of the song Wheel in the sky? Saqib http://doctrina.wordpress.com > Which is better: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Saqib > http://doctrina.wordpress.com I would say that I would more likely use "version" in preference to "rendition", but I don't sense much difference in meaning. "Version", being a more common word, I might find that in a review I might find myself using that word too often, and might want to vary the word selection. (Other words to vary vocabulary with: production, effort, latest work, newer issue, etc.) A little variety adds spice, but some people (especially local sports announcers) are embarrassingly self-conscious in varying verbs when listing what team defeated what other team, so moderating the variations is key. >> Which is better: >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > myself using that word too often, and might want to vary the word > selection. Strange. I had the distinct impression that the two words have significantly different meanings. I would use "version" if the two performances had different substance (changes in the text being the most common case, one version being one verse shorter than the other, for instance), and would use "rendition" if the text and main melody were the same, but had different tempos/arrangements/back vocals. Am I alone with this usage?  SignatureYou'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone. >Which is better: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >Saqib >http://doctrina.wordpress.com To me, the two words mean different things. I'm a fan of traditional folk music, and "version" and "rendition" have two different meanings. One version may differ from another because different words may be used. "Streets of Laredo", for example, because it's a version of "The Unfortunate Rake". A "rendition" is one person's way of singing or playing a song, but a one rendition is just slightly different from someone else's in presenting the same words and tune. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >> Which is better: >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > or playing a song, but a one rendition is just slightly different from > someone else's in presenting the same words and tune. Oh, cheers, Tony - you posted this while I was writing my reply. So I'm not alone. :) SignatureYou'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone. Tony, You bring up an interesting distinction between version and rendition, which I have overlooked in the past. To give some background, my question was related to a blog post titled "What’s your favorite version of the Star-Spangled Banner?"[1]. So according to your earlier clarification, since the words in Star- Spangled Banner will always be same, "version" is the wrong word to use. The Blog post author should have used "rendering" instead. Right? 1. http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2008/08/whats-your-favo.html Thanks Saqib http://doctrina.wordpress.com >Tony, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Spangled Banner will always be same, "version" is the wrong word to >use. The Blog post author should have used "rendering" instead. Right? I don't open a lot of links, so I haven't read that blog. However, if one person sings The Star Spangled Banner differently than other people, they are offering a different rendition but not a different version. A word more likely to used to describe the difference is "arrangement". The arrangement can include some musical changes and some lyric changes, but basically adheres to the original score. >1. http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2008/08/whats-your-favo.html > >Thanks >Saqib >http://doctrina.wordpress.com SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > On Fri, 9 Jan 2009 11:28:20 -0800 (PST), Saqib Ali > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > -- > Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida Yep, I agree about "version" and "rendition" being different things. The latest renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner from big-name singers (many of whom can't really sing), the ones with the intrusive high note or the strange warbles, hurt my ears. |
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