How to Enjoy Opera – Tips for Newbies – Why Operas are performed in their original languages
Posted: Monday, November 05, 2007
By Ricardo
I am a singer. I love to sing in English when my audience speaks English. The idea that English is unsuitable for singing or that English translations ruin foreign language operas is ridiculous. Singing in the vernacular is the only way to ensure effective communication. Singing in a language the audience does not understand ensures that only snobs attend, and also stops the general public from attending. The amazing thing is that Europeans already know this, and perform operas in their own language. England and America are the places that have the prejudice against their own tongue. Perhaps one day this will finally change. Thanks for your article.
I agree with you 100% I'm an orchestral musician and I had the pleasure of playing for a local semi-pro opera company when I was in college. I took the job because I needed the money but wasn't particularly looking forward to actually doing it. To my surprise, I loved it! I think the reason I was suddenly able to appreciate opera when I hadn't in the past was because the company performed in English and I was finally able to follow the plot and dialogue without reading a translation. It was truly a revelation to me.
Ricardo is the author of the Getting Opera - for real downloadable audio course that makes the listener an opera expert in less than three hours. He is also the author of many fiction and non-fiction books, a painter, and an historian. He lives in New York and is a regular at a whole bunch of neighborhood hangouts. His other interests include (but are not limited to) anthropology, comparative linguistics, and the future of public transportation.
Leave a Public Comment or Question:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional or organization.
