April FitzLyon
Encyclopedia
Cecily April FitzLyon known as April FitzLyon, was an English translator, biographer, and historian.
, in Dorset
, on 22 April 1920, FitzLyon was educated as a small child in France and later at St Mary's
, Calne
, in the west of England. She studied the flute
at the Guildhall School of Music
, but did not go on to become a professional musician.
who had taken the name of FitzLyon and who worked at the Ministry of Defence
. The couple had two sons, Sebastian, who became a business man in France and later in Russia, and Julian, an information specialist. The family lived in Golders Green
and later in Chiswick
, moving in literary circles and having many Russian friends.
Fitzlyon learned Russian from her husband's mother. In the 1950s, she approached a publisher with translations of stories by Anton Chekhov
which were unknown in the UK, which she had produced jointly with her husband. They were published in 1953 as The Woman in the Case and Other Stories. This was a great success and was quickly followed later the same year by translations of three short novels by Leo Tolstoy
(Three Novellas, 1953). Of these, April FitzLyon translated two herself. She continued to translate literature from Russian, French and Italian, but began to concentrate on historical biographies. She published the first life of Lorenzo da Ponte
, Mozart's librettist who had been a revolutionary in Venice
, debunking Ponte's own unreliable memoirs (The Libertine Librettist, 1955). After that, she translated Emile Zola
's Au bonheur des dames (Ladies Delight, 1957), the correspondence between Romain Rolland
and Richard Strauss
, and some recent French novels. She produced biographies of two Spanish singers, the daughters of Manuel del Pópulo Vicente García: firstly of Pauline García-Viardot
, who was a star of nineteenth century France (The Price of Genius, 1964), and later a new life of Pauline Viardot's sister Maria Malibran
, one of the most notable opera singers of the century (Maria Malibran: diva of the romantic age, 1987).
In researching her book on Viardot, FitzLyon found much on the singer's long relationship with Ivan Turgenev
, and in 1983 she wrote the catalogue for the London Theatre Museum's centenary exhibition 'Turgenev and the Theatre'.
In 1975 she published Nobody: or, The Disgospel according to Maria Dementnaya, a translation of a Russian samizdat
novel, Nikto, which was about the seamy side of the life of Bohemian dissidents and had been smuggled out of Russia in 1966. She went on to translate verse from Russian into both English and French, contributed to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and wrote articles and reviews, including work for Encounter
, the Times Literary Supplement and The Literary Review
.
The FitzLyons visited Russia both before and after the collapse of Communism
. For about twenty-five years before her death, April FitzLyon was the General Secretary of the Russian Refugees Aid Society, and she made many broadcasts for BBC Radio
. At the time of her death, her publisher John Calder
called her "a scholar of the old school".
Early life
Born Cecily April Mead, at Langton HerringLangton Herring
Langton Herring is a village in west Dorset, England, situated beside The Fleet Lagoon , four miles north east of the town of Weymouth....
, in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, on 22 April 1920, FitzLyon was educated as a small child in France and later at St Mary's
St Mary's School (Calne)
St Mary's Calne, is an academically selective independent school at Calne, Wiltshire, for girls aged eleven to eighteen, with about 320 on roll. Most girls are boarders...
, Calne
Calne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
, in the west of England. She studied the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
at the Guildhall School of Music
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
, but did not go on to become a professional musician.
Marriage and children
In 1941, at the age of twenty, April Mead married Kyril Zinovieff, a Russian émigréÉmigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
who had taken the name of FitzLyon and who worked at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. The couple had two sons, Sebastian, who became a business man in France and later in Russia, and Julian, an information specialist. The family lived in Golders Green
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
and later in Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, moving in literary circles and having many Russian friends.
Literary career
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
which were unknown in the UK, which she had produced jointly with her husband. They were published in 1953 as The Woman in the Case and Other Stories. This was a great success and was quickly followed later the same year by translations of three short novels by Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
(Three Novellas, 1953). Of these, April FitzLyon translated two herself. She continued to translate literature from Russian, French and Italian, but began to concentrate on historical biographies. She published the first life of Lorenzo da Ponte
Lorenzo Da Ponte
Lorenzo Da Ponte was a Venetian opera librettist and poet. He wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's greatest operas, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte....
, Mozart's librettist who had been a revolutionary in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, debunking Ponte's own unreliable memoirs (The Libertine Librettist, 1955). After that, she translated Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
's Au bonheur des dames (Ladies Delight, 1957), the correspondence between Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.-Biography:...
and Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
, and some recent French novels. She produced biographies of two Spanish singers, the daughters of Manuel del Pópulo Vicente García: firstly of Pauline García-Viardot
Pauline Garcia-Viardot
Pauline Viardot [née García] was a leading nineteenth-century French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer of Spanish descent.-Name:Her name appears in various forms. When it is not simply "Pauline Viardot", it most commonly appears in association with her maiden name García or the unaccented...
, who was a star of nineteenth century France (The Price of Genius, 1964), and later a new life of Pauline Viardot's sister Maria Malibran
Maria Malibran
The mezzo-soprano Maria Malibran , was one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran was known for her stormy personality and dramatic intensity, becoming a legendary figure after her death at age 28...
, one of the most notable opera singers of the century (Maria Malibran: diva of the romantic age, 1987).
In researching her book on Viardot, FitzLyon found much on the singer's long relationship with Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His first major publication, a short story collection entitled A Sportsman's Sketches, is a milestone of Russian Realism, and his novel Fathers and Sons is regarded as one of the major works of 19th-century...
, and in 1983 she wrote the catalogue for the London Theatre Museum's centenary exhibition 'Turgenev and the Theatre'.
In 1975 she published Nobody: or, The Disgospel according to Maria Dementnaya, a translation of a Russian samizdat
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
novel, Nikto, which was about the seamy side of the life of Bohemian dissidents and had been smuggled out of Russia in 1966. She went on to translate verse from Russian into both English and French, contributed to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and wrote articles and reviews, including work for Encounter
Encounter (magazine)
Encounter was a literary magazine, founded in 1953 by poet Stephen Spender and early neoconservative author Irving Kristol. The magazine ceased publication in 1991...
, the Times Literary Supplement and The Literary Review
The Literary Review
The Literary Review is an American literary magazine founded in 1957. The quarterly magazine is published internationally by Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey...
.
The FitzLyons visited Russia both before and after the collapse of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. For about twenty-five years before her death, April FitzLyon was the General Secretary of the Russian Refugees Aid Society, and she made many broadcasts for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
. At the time of her death, her publisher John Calder
John Calder
John Mackenzie Calder is a Canadian and Scottish publisher who founded Calder Publishing in 1949.-Biography:John Calder was a friend of Samuel Beckett, becoming the main publisher of his prose-texts in Britain after the success of Waiting for Godot on the London stage in 1955-56...
called her "a scholar of the old school".
Selected publications
- The Woman in the Case and Other Stories (1953), translation of stories by Anton ChekhovAnton ChekhovAnton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
(jointly with Kyril FitzLyon) - Three Novellas (1953), translations of three short novels by Leo TolstoyLeo TolstoyLev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
(one of the three jointly with Kyril FitzLyon) - The Devil and Family Happiness, translation from Leo Tolstoy (London: Spearman & Calder, 1953, 2nd edition 1954)
- The Libertine Librettist (1955), a biography of Lorenzo da PonteLorenzo Da PonteLorenzo Da Ponte was a Venetian opera librettist and poet. He wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's greatest operas, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte....
- Ladies Delight (1957), translation of Emile ZolaÉmile ZolaÉmile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
's Au bonheur des dames - The Price of Genius (1964), a biography of Pauline García-ViardotPauline Garcia-ViardotPauline Viardot [née García] was a leading nineteenth-century French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer of Spanish descent.-Name:Her name appears in various forms. When it is not simply "Pauline Viardot", it most commonly appears in association with her maiden name García or the unaccented...
- Blaze of Embers (Calder and Boyars, 1971), translation of novel by André Pieyre de MandiarguesAndré Pieyre de MandiarguesAndré Pieyre de Mandiargues was a French writer born in Paris. He became an associate of the Surrealists and married the Italian painter Bona Tibertelli de Pisis...
- Nobody: or, The Disgospel according to Maria Dementnaya (1975), novel translated from the Russian
- Maria MalibranMaria MalibranThe mezzo-soprano Maria Malibran , was one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran was known for her stormy personality and dramatic intensity, becoming a legendary figure after her death at age 28...
: diva of the romantic age (1987), a biography - A month in the country: an exhibition presented by the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and arranged in conjunction with April FitzLyon (with Alexander Schouvaloff) catalogue of the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
's Theatre Museum Ivan Turgenev centenary exhibition (1983)
External links
- April FitzLyon at bookfinder.com