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Date: | Sun, 16 May 1999 08:17:50 -0400 |
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Eric Kisch, on surtitles, wrote:
>The biggest argument against translation is that you lose the sound of the
>original, which is part of its music.
That's the key point. I speak no Italian at all, yet I go through my
favorite operas with libretto in hand at least once a year. To see how
Puccini manipulates words and music is a real illumination and expansion
of the entire package. Much of that would be lost in a translation.
>Finally, to really follow dialogue and singing line by line you need
>to follow a libretto, which is well nigh impossible in the dark and in
>generally cramped seats.
And think of all the complaints -- umm, from certain Listers in attendance?
-- at the sound of pages turning every few seconds.
>So what's wrong with putting up a curtailed version of the text where
>everyone who wants to can see it? And pretty well get the gist of what's
>going on moment by moment.
If I would have thought of that first, I would have said it myself.
Mitch Friedfeld
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