The assertion that opera in
English-speaking countries is a musical event rather than a
theatrical experience is clearly demonstrated by the
convention of performing opera in a foreign language
accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. The inevitable
result is a complete loss of comprehension and clarity in
the text and often the inability to hear the singers. This
flies in the face of the composers’ intentions, as such
icons of the medium as Mozart, Verdi and Puccini were
renowned “men of the theatre” and not just “musicians.”
If opera is to be truly regarded as theatre and not just as
an intellectual exercise, it is essential that the text be
accessible to the spectator. In Puccini’s letters and
indeed in contemporary reports, the Maestro constantly
insisted on the importance of meaning and argued at length
with his librettists for an appropriate word or turn of
phrase. Italian opera audiences are extremely reluctant to
hear opera in anything other than Italian and learn the
more popular excerpts as part of their education. Their
relationship to an opera libretto could perhaps be compared
to that of an Englishman’s response to Shakespeare or a
Gilbert and Sullivan text.
Why is it then acceptable to English-speaking audiences to
sit through a performance of opera in an unfamiliar foreign
language, sung by singers who generally fail to understand
the nuances of what they are singing and directed by a
director who probably has even less familiarity with the
language? And when the overwhelming volume of a full
orchestra is added as accompaniment, the possibility to
appreciate the subtleties of mood and meaning is remote. A
similar situation in a play or musical would be considered
intolerable.
Many composers conceived their works as reflections of the
society and moral values of the time. The treatment of the
plot was frequently designed to provoke and shock and a
traditional production of such an opera today seldom has
the impact the composer intended.
