Well, if the Pope likes it...

[GKarsEye]

See, I don't understand why a silent film would be better. Either way you can't hear them talking. In both cases, the story comes through in the visuals.

Then again, I enjoy opera without subtitles. That is because:
1. I only really care about the music
2. They always give you a booklet that tells you the story

It would be a problem if much of the film was just some dudes sitting around talking. But that's not gonna happen.

 

[Jade Jaguar]

Subtitles are fine with me, and I'm glad Mel gave in and is having them. I'd like to see the film, in large part to see how accurately they depict the era.

 

[DaRkEnEdStAr]

As i understand it : most operas are in Italian yes ?
if you translated it , you could lose the essence of what it meant to the writer thus losing the effect of it . There could be some words that dont translate into English .

 

[GKarsEye]

Operas were pretty much all in Italian up until the 19th century. As Germany and Austria became the most influencial music cultures in Europe, many German operas appeared. The late 19th and 20th century saw nationalistic music come into play, and operas in many languages were pravalent- Russian, French, Spanish and, if you count Gilbert & Sullivan as opera, English.

Opera lyrics tend to be very simple, because they have to be sung. The situations are absurd of comedic and melodramatic if tragic to act as an appropriate vehicle for performance.

So, no, you don't miss much through translation. It doesn't really matter.

 

[PillowRock]

Operas were pretty much all in Italian up until the 19th century. As Germany and Austria became the most influencial music cultures in Europe, many German operas appeared. The late 19th and 20th century saw nationalistic music come into play, and operas in many languages were pravalent- Russian, French, Spanish and, if you count Gilbert & Sullivan as opera, English.

Opera lyrics tend to be very simple, because they have to be sung. The situations are absurd of comedic and melodramatic if tragic to act as an appropriate vehicle for performance.

So, no, you don't miss much through translation. It doesn't really matter.

And don't forget that Gilbert & Sullivan actually wrote a lyric that goes:

This incredibly rapid
Unintelligable patter
Isn't generally heard
And if it is
It doesn't matter.



I like The Pirates of Penzance.

 

[hypatia]

I think I saw a PBS showing once of Madame Butterfly.

Quite frankly, I found the subtitles added a whole new dimension to the story.

I saw part of The Magic Flute with subtitles. Again, I liked knowing what was being said and just what was being sung.

One opera critic was asked what he thought about the subtitle bar that they have hanging in many opera theaters these days. He said something to the effect of "now everyone can stop pretending that they know what is going on".



Obviously, it is not as excellent a solution as, say, the braincap. But I think it is a vast improvement.