Eric Kisch wrote:

>You quote ENO director David Pountney as saying a) Opera is a synthesis
>of music, text, acton and image.  Surtitles removes one of these elements.
>
>Pountney's example was Noel Coward's "Englishmen detest a siesta" likely
>to be rendered as "Englishmen do not like afternoon naps".

I may have missed earlier parts of this thread, but hope I am right in
pointing out that one of the important things about English National Opera
(ENO) is that their productions are presented in the English language.
When questioned, their conductors will quote many examples (Verdi, etc.)
of composers who *wanted* their operas to be sung in translation so that
audiences in other countries could understand them.

The use of English in England might serve to remove one of the reasons for
having surtitles.

Yours,

John Hayward-Warburton
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