THE FUTURE OF GRAND OPERA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1045, 7 February 1911, Page 9

THE FUTURE OF GRAND OPERA.

'Wfiijp"JlMS:" TETPvAZZINI thiSk£. — Atme. Tetrazjini does not believe that Riam'i Qpera will be successfully sunn in English for many a day. I Both in England and America thero is too littlo encouragement to local art for the English composer to produce operas for his own country only, aud as soon as- they appear in other lands there is no question of singing them in English, and so they pass out ot' tho category of operas in-English; i Tho English language offers many difficulties" to the singer. Italian," with its open vowels, its liquid sounds, is the ideal language for song. French, with-its nasal sounds, cannot be compared to it; German, with its aspirated consonants and gutturals, offers many objections; and English has somo of all these disqualifications, as well as tho predominance of sibilants, which shut oft the flow of sound. Still, there aro many pcoplo u'ho prefer listening to opera in their own language, even if half tho words aro uot distinguishable. And it might bo urged that any opera could be translated into English, no matter in what' language it was written. But hero , again thoro are great objections. For to mako a good singable translation of an opera libretto many qualifications aro necessary, which ara not often found in thoso who ranke tho translations. In tho fir6t place, tho translator should be to n'cortain extent a poet'and a linguist,.so that we should not havo the doggerel' and mistakes so common now in translated opera. Then, too. he should havo a good knowledge of finging and tho possibilities and 'limitations of the voice. This for tho simple rpason that in making tho translation', aside from the poetic beauty aud the accuracy, lie must know which ones, are almost out of tho question for high tones. lie must know "which words aro singable, aiid which should be nvoided. Tho translator must understand all theso, things,' or ho may produco an _ English text which is a marvel of poetic beauty but the despair of tho vocalist.