' HUGH MACDONALD argues the case for performing operas in translation'

[doversoul1]

This is not just for opera but in general, translation is seen as a kind of linguistic changing machine: you put in a note and out comes the changes of the same value. Nothing to give any more thoughts about it…

If more opera producers acknowledge that translation is a distant cousin (albeit very distant) of performance, I expect there is room for improvement.

[Bert Coules]

I think it's fair to say that a translation is also going to be an interpretation: the translator's choices of words, tone and so on (and even of meaning in some cases) must inevitably reflect his own views of the original.

Something that pains me is to hear of operatic translations being treated by performers in a very cavalier fashion - "Oh, yes, I changed that, I didn't like it" - which devalues the work of the translator and shows a lack of appreciation for the skill and the degree of sensitivity involved.

Let me recommend again Andrew Porter's long and detailed essay on the craft, with special reference to his Ring text. If you're interested in the subject it's worth getting hold of the published libretto purely in order to read the essay, which is included. The book is out of print, but secondhand copies can be obtained. Try here for some possible sources.