‘Opera, in Translation’

‘Opera, in Translation’John McWhorter’s column on supertitles at opera houses minimizes the wonderful benefits of titles accompanying operas [Oped, “Opera, in Translation,” July 10, 2008].Titles allow for increased comprehension as the opera evolves, helping one make sense out of what otherwise would be tedious stretches and adding to one’s appreciation of the plot.In the first act of Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly,” there is an eruption on stage that traditionally has not been recognized for its true meaning, when Butterfly’s uncle disrupts her wedding to an American naval lieutenant, B.F. Pinkerton, and her whole family leaves en masse.The titles tell us that she had been seen visiting the office of a Christian mission in Nagasaki and thus was seeking conversion to another faith. This might make families normally upset at such occasions, so that without the titles the action of the family seems like overkill.Titles also help during the second act of Wagner’s “Die Walkure,” when the god Wotan sits down on a rock and proceeds to bore the audience for 20 minutes — at least he did before subtitles came along and told us that the whole fate of the 20-hour ring cycle hinged on the content of that monologue.Incidentally, the word supertitle, which to Mr. McWhorter conjures images of a flying man in tights, referred to the position of the titles above the stage at the New York City Opera.The Metropolitan Opera realized that operagoers like Mr. McWhorter might be distracted by them and so they placed the scripted translation on the backs of seats, visible only to the individual sitting behind each seat.These titles need to be activated to be used; they also come in several languages so Mr. McWhorter may choose to read, or to not read, any of them.ALAN SPERBERNew York, N.Y.

‘Opera, in Translation’

‘Opera, in Translation’

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