Opera in English

[Ahmad]

Well..I want to confess! I've not listen to a complete opera till now, that's because my only foreign language is English (my mother language is Arabic),I don't know any word from dutch or italian languages where most famous operas are written in.

Can you help me with an opera written in english ,and is there any website that contains the literal text of such operas..?

[This message has been edited by Ahmad (edited December 21, 2003).]

[Chris]

Well, Handel wrote a lot of vocal music in English.

But not knowing the language is not a barrier to enjoying opera. You should especially not pass up Beethoven's Fidelio because of this. Opera CDs come with books that translate the words into English (and other languages), so you will know exactly what they are saying.

[spaceray]

Handel's operas are all in Italian,but his oratorios are in English,Henry Purcell wrote English operas.
I agree with Chris that not knowing the language the opera is in shouldn't,if it is well cast ,hold you back from enjoying it.
Milton Cross wrote a great book called Complete stories of Great Operas and this has been a great help to me.Opera's on video often have English subtitles.A synopsis of the opera is usually found in the programme.

[Chris]

And to be honest, I have never heard an opera in English that I liked, so...

[Peter]

Originally posted by Ahmad:
Well..I want to confess! I've not listen to a complete opera till now, that's because my only foreign language is English (my mother language is Arabic),I don't know any word from dutch or italian languages where most famous operas are written in.

Can you help me with an opera written in english ,and is there any website that contains the literal text of such operas..?

[This message has been edited by Ahmad (edited December 21, 2003).]

The music for me is far more important in opera than the text - I have never found not understanding the language a barrier to enjoyment! Sometimes Mozart's operas are given in English but I prefer the original language even though I don't understand it - I also hate subtitles!

However if you really want opera in English then aside from Purcell, you're into the 20th century with composers such as Benjamin Britten, John Adams and (heaven help us) Harrison Birtwhistle!

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'Man know thyself'

[Chaszz]

At http://www.rwagner.net/e-frame.html can be found complete German/English librettos of Wagner's operas. Click on the 'Opera' link at the left. They can be printed out one scene at a time and make the operas easy to follow because the English text is printed across the page from the German text. Also the Reginald Goodall version of the Ring cycle, on Chandos Records, is sung in English. This is a good version, although I confess I can't understand the words much better than in the original German. But the booklet with any opera CD, as said previously, almost always provides complete librettos and translations scene by scene. This is often NOT the case, however, with CD versions of historic 78 RPM recordings, originally pre-1950.

[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited December 22, 2003).]

[Tony John Hearne]

I "found" Opera first in Carmen, then Traviata, then Don Giovanni, before stumbling across the greatest (for me) and opera of all time which is The Magic Flute.

Quite frankly, at first and as a younger man, I never really understood a word of what they were singing about, but the sheer emotion and beauty of voice and melody made the experience intoxicating and ultimately life changing. Only now am I really beginning to pay more attention to the libretto and it becomes even more rewarding day by day.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Ahmad:
Well..I want to confess! I've not listen to a complete opera till now, that's because my only foreign language is English (my mother language is Arabic),I don't know any word from dutch or italian languages where most famous operas are written in.

Can you help me with an opera written in english ,and is there any website that contains the literal text of such operas..?

[This message has been edited by Ahmad (edited December 21, 2003).]

Handel wrote some quasi-operas in English. Hercules and Semele immediately spring to mind and both have been staged. Also some of the English oratorios are operas in all but the name and some have been staged as such too. The oratorio Theodora fits into this category and it has been staged with great success this year at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in England.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rod]

Originally posted by Ahmad:
Can you help me with an opera written in english ,and is there any website that contains the literal text of such operas..?

[This message has been edited by Ahmad (edited December 21, 2003).]

Here is the libretto to Handel's Hercules:
http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/hercules.htm

And Semele:
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rbear/congreve1.html

And Theodora:
http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/theodora.htm

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin



[This message has been edited by Rod (edited December 30, 2003).]

[Ahmad]

Thanks Rod. Thanks you all!

[SR]

If you can read English I highly reccomend rental or purchase of DVD's of opera performance. Opera is a visual as well as auditory artform. Nobody ever wrote an opera for CD release. Opera is about babes and costumes and sets and lighting as well as music. With DVD you can watch the action, read the subtitles, and hear the music. Body motion and facial expression do alot to advance plots. You don't get that when listening or reading from a page trying to figure out what they are saying.

After you've seen and understood then the music alone from CD is also more enjoyable.


Steve