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(6)...In any case, talking is always productive and I wish we the artists could do this more. In any language, for WE know better the best language of all: This of the soul!
Thank you for your time,
LoverOfOpera!
LoverOfOpera 2 years ago
(5)...itself! We could as well make theatre in stead of opera. THIS is the magic of singing opera: The music itself supports the text... By saying "I love you" for 20 bars continuesly doesn't mean that the public cannot understand what you mean... The reason we make opera is to give to the public the feeling of WHY we (in this example) fell in love and not just the fact that we did. And this is a procedure done only in the original text and music, because this is how the composer would want it!
LoverOfOpera 2 years ago
(4)...to GIVE TO THE PUBLIC to understand the meaning of the performing. The "super-titles" ought to be just supportive in some cases of not-understanding the body language, the acting, the HEARING OF THE VOICE & MUSIC ITSELF to the audience. By altering the meaning of the text, of the music, pressing the singers to produce sounds out of un-composed or extra-composed by a....libretto-translator notes, the public takes a "describing" feeling of that that could have been the real masterpiece...
LoverOfOpera 2 years ago
(3)...to sing other parts than their voice is and are just happy if they can have a singing machine on stage, instead showing the proper respect to the musical art itself, the musical literature and perhaps as the last but not least the artist him/her-self. I totally reject as a person having spent almost 27 years of my life studying and performing (starting just when 6 y.o.with studying) to this decreasing-the-meaning-of-art logic! On the other hand, WE, as singers have to do the big task....
LoverOfOpera 2 years ago
(2)...or sometimes even by CUTTING musical frases the result is destroying the piece. Changing the melody of the language in an opera DOES NOT have to do with which language is the best in the literature or as a euphonic one. It has to do with respecting a composer and his mental work. AND MOST OF ALL (perhaps), if we say that the composer is not that important to the final decision, then the respect to the singer. Many small Opera houses -especially in Germany- require from their singers...
LoverOfOpera 2 years ago
The audience here is devoted and has a long-standing and, in many, many cases, personal relationship with the house. They are used to seeing *every* production in German and I do think that fewer people would have come to see the show than will if it had been in French.
nbtownwebtv 2 years ago
WHY these Germans insist on making still productions in GERMAN???? It's like....Bizet didn't know that German language also existed and thought I'll compose my Opera in French, even though I'd love to have a language that people would spit in every word that ends with "t"! F@@@@! Give us a brake! And give 200 Euro to buy an "overtitle" Machine! GoD! Poor singers!
LoverOfOpera 2 years ago
from an artist:
Dear LoverOfOpera,
The question of performing operas in their original language or in the lingua franca of the 'performance' country is indeed an important one. The so-called intention of the composer (which is, of course, always dangerous ground! :-) ) is for the audience to understand what it being sung. Of course, they also compose the melodic line to suit the language that they are working with...
nbtownwebtv 2 years ago
and that brings us to the root question: Are we going to emphasize the understandability of the text for the local audience?, or Are we going to emphasize the melodic line, and leave it up to the individual audience members to follow the story?
nbtownwebtv 2 years ago
This decision is one that was not made lightly or arrogantly here in Neustrelitz. I can assure you that a lot of care and consideration went into the decision to use a translation and *not* to super-title - which would also have been an option.
As one of the singers in this production, and a non-native German speaker, I can also assure you that it is *not* in point of fact uncomfortable to sing in the German language, but is actually quite pleasant.
nbtownwebtv 2 years ago
The language offers so many opportunities for expression.... It *is* a different 'sound' than the French... and you have to get used to that. But it is not as offensive or difficult an experience as you would seem to imply. :-)
The production is really quite stunning - and, although I was not immediately convinced, I do believe that the choice for German in *this* setting was the right one.
nbtownwebtv 2 years ago
So that is another question - authentic language but no one comes to see it? Or sing in German and share this beautiful, moving music with even just one more person than would have had that experience otherwise?
To me - the decision is clear.
Thank you for your comments...
Hope to see you at a show!
nbtownwebtv 2 years ago
Dear nbtownwebtv,
thank you for your kind answer. As a singer myself, I have also being put to this dilemma many times concerning the language I am asked from each theatre to sing in! I have had the same opinion as you do now, until I just dared once to stop worrying about my "place" in the theatre and start caring about the real art. My opinion is that singing EXTRA NOTES, making EXTRA PAUSES
LoverOfOpera 2 years ago