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La Bohème
Don Giovanni
Gianni Schicchi
Madame Butterfly
The Marriage of
Figaro
I Pagliacci
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"Opera in English
is, in the main, just about as sensible as baseball in Italian."
- H. L. Mencken
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With all due respect to Mr. Mencken, I couldn't disagree more. I believe
most members of the audience in this country have a richer theatrical
experience and are much more engaged, when they hear opera in
English. In fact, there is no comparison between having a general idea
of what someone is singing about, and comprehending each word as it is
sung. The former can be beautiful, the latter, electrifying! Just ask any
American singer who has sung the same role here in English and in
Italian.
In recent years, supertitles have all but obliterated opera in English in
this country. It is, incidentally, alive and well in the U.K., as is opera in
the vernacular in Europe, though to a lesser extent than in the past.
Supertitles are certainly beneficial for those who don't know the libretto,
but opera should be much more than a great read! Translation may
offend purists, but I believe that an opera performance should be a
living thing, not a museum piece.
I agree that most singing translations of Italian operas are not very
successful. It takes a special set of skills to do it well: theatrical,
musical, literary and poetic. My gold standard is that an opera
translation should fit the music and the drama so perfectly, that it
seems as if the opera was originally written in English! I strive to
achieve that.
My translations are not just literary exercises. As an opera singer,
producer and director, I have developed a keen appreciation for the
dramatic elements of these pieces. My English versions are
characterized by their theatrical vigor, emotional depth, humor, perfect
synchrony of words and music, and for comedies, flawless rhyme
schemes.
I invite you to use the links on the left to view my current offerings, and
some samples of my work.
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