Percy Edward Pinkerton (19 June 1855 – 31 August 1946) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

translator and poet. His translations included two novels by

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

and a

Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long lin ...

libretto.

Early life

Pinkerton was born at

Stamford Hill Stamford Hill is an area in Inner London, England, about 5.5 miles north-east of Charing Cross. The neighbourhood is a sub-district of Hackney, the major component of the London Borough of Hackney, and is known for its Hasidic community, the ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

, the third child of metal broker George Pinkerton (1823-1899), son of the missionary and linguist Rev. Robert Pinkerton, DD, and Mary (née Easum; 1823-1868). His siblings included the architect

Godfrey Pinkerton Godfrey Pinkerton (1858 – 1937) was a London-based British architect. Biography Early life Pinkerton was born at Godstone, Surrey, son of metal broker George Pinkerton (1823 – 1899), son of the missionary and linguist Rev. Robert Pinkerton, ...

Writing

Pinkerton published some volumes of poetry: ''Galeazzo, a Venetian Episode: with other Poems'' (Venice and London, 1886), which was praised by

John Addington Symonds John Addington Symonds, Jr. (; 5 October 1840 – 19 April 1893) was an English poet and literary critic. A cultural historian, he was known for his work on the Renaissance, as well as numerous biographies of writers and artists. Although m ...

, ''Adriatica'' (1894), ''At Hazebro (1909), and ''Nerina, a lyrical drama in three acts'' (Cambridge, 1927). He also wrote for the ''

Magazine of Art A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...

'', and in 1889 edited

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...

's plays. However most of his literary work consisted of English translations of European songs and literature. He was a member of the late Victorian Lutetian Society, dedicated to unexpurgated translations of the works of

. The Society included

Ernest Dowson Ernest Christopher Dowson (2 August 186723 February 1900) was an English poet, novelist, and short-story writer who is often associated with the Decadent movement. Biography Ernest Dowson was born in Lee, then in Kent, in 1867. His great-uncle ...

Havelock Ellis Henry Havelock Ellis (2 February 1859 – 8 July 1939) was an English physician, eugenicist, writer, progressive intellectual and social reformer who studied human sexuality. He co-wrote the first medical textbook in English on homosexuality in ...

Arthur Symons Arthur William Symons (28 February 186522 January 1945) was a British poet, critic and magazine editor. Life Born in Milford Haven, Wales, to Cornish parents, Symons was educated privately, spending much of his time in France and Italy. In 1884 ...

Victor Plarr Victor Gustave Plarr (21 June 1863 – 28 January 1929) was an English poet; he is probably best known for the poem ''Epitaphium Citharistriae''. Life He was born near Strasbourg, France, of a French father from Alsace, Gustave Plarr, and an En ...

and

Alexander Teixeira de Mattos Alexander Louis Teixeira de Mattos (April 9, 1865 – December 5, 1921), known as Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, was a Dutch-English journalist, literary critic and publisher, who gained his greatest fame as a translator. Early life The Teix ...

. He translated other works from German, Italian, French and Russian.

Translations

From German *William Müller, ''Field-Marshal Count

Moltke The House of Moltke is the name of an old German noble family. The family was originally from Mecklenburg, but apart from Germany, some of the family branches also resided throughout Scandinavia. Members of the family have been noted as pigfarme ...

, 1800–1878'', 1879 * Heinrich Düntzer, ''The Life of Schiller'', 1883 From Italian *

Matteo Bandello Matteo Bandello ( 1480 – 1562) was an Italian writer, soldier, monk, and, later, a Bishop mostly known for his novellas. His collection of 214 novellas made him the most popular short-story writer of his day. Biography Matteo Bandello wa ...

, ''Novellieri Italiani. Twelve stories selected and done into English with a memoir of the author'', 1892 From French *''Memoirs of Constant, the Emperor Napoleon's head valet'', 1896 *Émile Zola, '' Restless House'', 1924 *Émile Zola, "Pot Bouille" 1894-95 (Lutetian House, London) From Russian * Mikhail Artsybashev, '' Sanine'', 1914 *Mikhail Artsybashev, ''The Millionaire'', 1915 Operas and cantatas *Puccini,

La Bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions ''quadri'', ''tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe G ...

, 1896. Performed for radio in 1930 *Puccini, '' The witch-dancers'', performed at Manchester in 1897 *

Niccola Spinelli Niccola Spinelli (29 July 1865 – 17 October 1909) was an Italian composer of operas. Born in Turin, the son of a jurist, he studied composition at the Naples Conservatory under Paolo Serrao.A Basso Porto'', performed at Brighton in 1900 *

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

, songs with pianoforte accompaniment *

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (born Ermanno Wolf) (January 12, 1876 – January 21, 1948) was an Italian composer and teacher. He is best known for his comic operas such as '' Il segreto di Susanna'' (1909). A number of his works were based on plays by ...

, ''The New Life'', 1902 *

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

, ''Phoebus and Pan'' *

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

, ''Le Temple universel'' *

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...

Lyrics

*''Pansies'', to

Salut d'Amour ''Salut d'Amour'' (''Liebesgruß''), Op. 12, is a musical work composed by Edward Elgar in 1888, originally written for violin and piano. History Elgar finished the piece in July 1888, when he was romantically involved with Caroline Alice Elg ...

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

Personal life

In 1909, aged 54, Pinkerton married 41-year-old Emily Harriet, spinster daughter of Rev. James Richard Woodgates, rector of

Putley Putley is a village and civil parish east of Hereford, in the county of Herefordshire, England. In 2011 the parish had a population of 245. The parish borders Aylton, Woolhope, Pixley, Much Marcle and Tarrington. Features There are 49 lis ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...

. They lived at Red Lodge,

Happisburgh, Norfolk Happisburgh () is a village civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is on the coast, to the east of a north–south road, the B1159 from Bacton on the coast to Stalham. It is a nucleated village. The nearest substantial tow ...

. Pinkerton died on 31 August 1946, aged 91, at Ealing House,

Porthleven Porthleven () is a town, civil parish and fishing port near Helston, Cornwall, England. The most southerly port in Great Britain, it was a harbour of refuge when this part of the Cornish coastline was infamous for wrecks in the days of sail. Th ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

.''The Times'', 5 September 1946. and was buried at Porthleven Cemetery alongside his wife. They had no issue.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pinkerton, Percy Edward 1855 births 1946 deaths French–English translators German–English translators Italian–English translators Russian–English translators People from Porthleven People from Stoke Newington