Opera North: Káťa Kabanová

[Conchis]

Has anyone seen this revival yet? I'm hopefully going to be seeing it next month.

Janacek loses less than most composers by being sung in a language other than his native Czech and I have good memories of the previous ON production, which got a showing at Sadlers Wells.

[David-G]

Janacek loses less than most composers by being sung in a language other than his native Czech

I am not sure I agree with this. I have just seen the marvellous KK at the Royal Opera House. Listening to the cadences of the Czech language in association with Janacek's music was a delight.

[verismissimo]

Planning to go - Nottingham in March.

[Conchis]

I am not sure I agree with this. I have just seen the marvellous KK at the Royal Opera House. Listening to the cadences of the Czech language in association with Janacek's music was a delight.

I always prefer the original language, including in Janacek - but English translations of his libretti don't topple over into absurdity, as English translations of Wagner and (especially) Verdi usually do.

[Richard Barrett]

I always prefer the original language, including in Janacek - but English translations of his libretti don't topple over into absurdity, as English translations of Wagner and (especially) Verdi usually do.

The thing is that Janáček explicitly built his melodies around the pitch- and stress-inflections of his language so any translation is going to have to deal with that fact somehow... I don't really hold with translating opera libretti at all, I just don't see the need to do it when it's so easy to set up surtitles for those who need them. Having said that, KK is one of my favourite operas and I'd take the chance to see it in any language.

[Conchis]

The thing is that Janáček explicitly built his melodies around the pitch- and stress-inflections of his language so any translation is going to have to deal with that fact somehow... I don't really hold with translating opera libretti at all, I just don't see the need to do it when it's so easy to set up surtitles for those who need them. Having said that, KK is one of my favourite operas and I'd take the chance to see it in any language.

Nor do I but Janacek's are the only operas I'd be prepared to watch 'in translation' (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk as well, perhaps), having previously seen ON's Vec Makropulos.

This 'language of the people who are watching it argument' has never washed with me. Most of the time it's difficult to follow the words when they are sung, anyway. And I believe this production has subtitles AS WELL as being sung in English.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Kuligin mentioned that he was going to the ON production (to the first night, IIRC) and I am going on Thursday, so shall report back.

I was disappointed with ON's decision to do Jenufa in English a couple or three years ago, and feel the same about doing this for "Katya". It must be of very limited use for the singers, too - outside of any other production using the same translation, they'll have to re-learn the roles if they're ever asked to perform them again.

[Conchis]

Kuligin mentioned that he was going to the ON production (to the first night, IIRC) and I am going on Thursday, so shall report back.

I was disappointed with ON's decision to do Jenufa in English a couple or three years ago, and feel the same about doing this for "Katya". It must be of very limited use for the singers, too - outside of any other production using the same translation, they'll have to re-learn the roles if they're ever asked to perform them again.

Has ON ever done Janacek in a language other than English?

As I recall it, their last production of KK was in English, too. I think it is a House tradition.

Doing some research, when Welsh National Opera had the resources to mount a production of Die Frau Ohne Schattten (back in 1977/78), that was also in English. Very disappointing!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Has ON ever done Janacek in a language other than English?

As I recall it, their last production of KK was in English, too. I think it is a House tradition.

Very possibly - if so, a "House tradition" that I would be very happy to see thrown out whenever they decide on a new Music Director.

Doing some research, when Welsh National Opera had the resources to mount a production of Die Frau Ohne Schattten (back in 1977/78), that was also in English. Very disappointing!

I agree - dylent fod wedi ei canu yn y Gymraeg!

[Conchis]

Very possibly - if so, a "House tradition" that I would be very happy to see thrown out whenever they decide on a new Music Director.


I agree - dylent fod wedi ei canu yn y Gymraeg!

They still don't have one, do they? Ever since the (still mysterious) resignation their last one.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

They still don't have one, do they? Ever since the (still mysterious) resignation their last one.

No - and he conducted the Jenufa (rather an underpowered performance, I thought - the most disappointing ON production I've been to; he was superb in Rosenkavalier, though).

After a recent concert performance by the ON orchestra of the Tristan P&L, it would be an act of criminal negligence if they didn't invite conductor Christophe Altstaedt to lead a production with the intervening three-and-a-half hours included. The rapport between him and the orchestra (and his comments on how he prefers conducting opera productions to concerts) made me wonder if there might be an announcement before too long.

(This is all just gossip and guesswork, of course - I have no "insider information" on the matter.)

[Richard Tarleton]

The thing is that Janáček explicitly built his melodies around the pitch- and stress-inflections of his language so any translation is going to have to deal with that fact somehow... I don't really hold with translating opera libretti at all, I just don't see the need to do it when it's so easy to set up surtitles for those who need them. Having said that, KK is one of my favourite operas and I'd take the chance to see it in any language.

WNO did Jenůfa in Czech in 1998 and in English in 2003, the latter conducted by Mackerras (I went to both). Mackerras apparently insisted on doing it in English - he was about to record it for Chandos's Opera in English series - yet perversely, in a lengthy interview in the programme with Martina Sperling [?] he talks at length about the Czech/Moravian speech rhythms, the difference between the Prague and Brno versions, etc..... I couldn't possibly comment.

[Braunschlag]

Nor do I but Janacek's are the only operas I'd be prepared to watch 'in translation' (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk as well, perhaps), having previously seen ON's Vec Makropulos.

This 'language of the people who are watching it argument' has never washed with me. Most of the time it's difficult to follow the words when they are sung, anyway. And I believe this production has subtitles AS WELL as being sung in English.

I’ll concur entirely with this point of view. I’m not a regular at ON but I choose very carefully now, I’d like them in the original language please. One might make a comparison with the Catholic Rites. I’ve no understanding of Latin but it seems to make sense in context. When they insisted on the vernacular it was a cue for some truly dreadful ‘translations’. Imagine listening to Renaissance choral music in English.
I do have a bit of a problem with English opera (specifically Britten), it’s not my thing at all and I have difficulty coming to terms with it. Surtitling English language operas is a bit of an own goal.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Forumistas might not have seen this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=275&v=ChEed9Jua3s

(I hadn't noticed that Sian Edwards is conducting - that will mean that both productions of the opera I've seen will have been conducted by her [a quarter-century or more apart].)

[vinteuil]

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... congratulations to whoever here got the diacritics right for Káťa .

Nice!



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