Opera in Translation

[Adrian]

Rudolph Sabor opens his five-volume translation on Wagner's Ring Cycle (one per opera plus an opening companion volume) with the bald statement: "There is a definite need for a new translation of Wagner's Ring cycle."

Whether he's right or not, the subject of opera translation is a fascinating one to me. ENO sing all their operas in English (and I think they still even include surtitles for all operas, even English ones.)

Anyway, it's Wagner that seems to be the most difficult for translators. My German is rusty and so I'm never going to appreciate the subtlety of one translator's text over another, but one I did like is Goodall's English language ring cycle: Amazon.co.uk: Wagner: The Goodall Ring Cycle [ENGLISH LANGUAGE]: Reginald Goodall, English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus: Music (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Goodall-Cycle-ENGLISH-LANGUAGE/dp/B00005LZVY)

which works really well. There's some serious thought gone into that work and it shows.

But I'd still rather listen in the original language, so I don't know what these translations are trying to be. Are the words that Verdi wrote music to translatable?

[Sybarite]

... But I'd still rather listen in the original language...

I'd agree on this. To be honest, I don't really listen to opera in order to relish the lyrics (apart from Gilbert & Sullivan ;) ). I can see the point with Wagner ? the stories are rather more interesting than many other grand operas ? but I'd still rather opt to hear the original German, with a decent background knowledge of the plot.