Evening star., 1951-07-15

4A1C OCSl1 dUlllGy VI IledTlIlg opera a
In English is born in on one all
the more strongly during the sum-
mer season. Presented at an out
of-door site, it draws a different
audience than that which might
journey to the Met or patronize
performance in a hall in winter.
Nearly every summer opera has
been given at the Watergate, in
French or Italian, for people of
whom only a very small per-
centage can understand either of
these languages. The old stand
bys that form the repertoire of
visiting companies are now famil-
lar to opera lovers and so it might
seem that the language was no
barrier to appreciation. Yet there
are numerous fine points that are
lost on those who have only a
smattering Of the language or
know only the general outline
of the story.
Whether opera can be, and
should be, translated into English
for consumption in this country
has been argued for many years.
Occasionally the controversy
breaks out fiercely and then dies
down without anything being ac-
complished. And year after year
the public continues to support
opera without understanding. for
the most part, anything of the
libretto. This is a wonderful ar
gument for the power of music,
for it is the music that draws.
supplemented by the pageantry.
The quality of the original text
forms the basis of opposition to
translated opera. Put into a cor
responding type of English, it
sounds silly. The former claim
of the unsingability of English has
gone by the boards now, as also
the need of changing the music
score to fit translation. It has
been recognized that, with pa
tience and wide knowledgeability.
opera can be translated into
English but the task is difficult
under all circumstances.
The Music of Words.
In the early years, when opera
was composed for cultural circles
only, the story was written by
poets. These men had the feel
for the music of words and the
flow of rhythm in their veins and
so were able to provide real and
immediate inspiration for the
composers. The troubles had by
Verdi and Puccini in finding
workable librettoS are we'll known
and have been experienced by
other opera composers. It is all
the more remarkable that these
men could do so much with what
was given them. But they were
dramatists who rode high on the
emotional problems of the story.
The unfolding of these problems
in the language understandable to
the audience has been one Of the
sources of the durability of opera.
1t is also one Of the reasons why
every country, except the English
speaking ones, insists on hearing
the text in the venacular.
Whether of poetic trend or COM
mon day usage, the language can
be followed and the beauty Of the
music enhanced by greater COM
munion. The abSurdity of an
audience, incapable of following
the amusing patter Of Rossini's
THE Barber of Seville" listening
to this gay work from the music
angle only. was felt at the recent
production by the Philadelphia
Civic Grand Opera Company at
the Watergate.
Many stay away from grand
opera because they cannot under
stand what it is all about. These
same persons would be surprised,
and agreeably, if the opera were
sung in English enabling the plot
to be followed line by line. There
are others who claim that only
the music matters but the very
raiSon d'etre of opera is the COM
bination of music and words in
a music drama. Increased appre-
citation of opera has come through
the Metropolitan's broadcaSts
where the events of each act are
explained beforehand. Some seek
to know about it by reading the
1ibretto either during the per-
formance or between the acts.
None of these ways help to pro-
vide the ultimate enjoyment to be
found in understanding every
word that is sung.
Opera LibrettoS.
That the style or spirit of a
work would be corrupted if trans
lated is nonsense. The case of
songs in a foreign language is
somewhat different. The texts
are poems by great poets and
gave to the composer the special
inspiration he needed for the mu-
sic. The two are so finely welded
together that any change of
musical accent or effect through
a translation is to be deplored.
The opera librettos are not so
valuable and certainly not so
artistic. The name originated in
1900 when small books contain
ing the words of the opera, usu-
ally in poetic form, were printed