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La Boheme
Don Giovanni
Gianni Schicchi
Madam Butterfly
The Marriage of
Figaro
The Clowns
(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 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 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 understanding of
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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