Opera Surtitles

I was relieved that Chris Pasles wasn’t writing just another diatribe about opera surtitles(“Giving Opera a Whole New Meaning,” Riffs, Calendar Weekend, Nov. 26). Pasles did bring to light the inherent difficulty of translating opera in performance.

The first problem is deciding how much to translate. One doesn’t want to overburden the viewer with too many titles. The second problem is dealing with the idiomatic nature of other languages and trying to adequately translate phrases that don’t hae equivalent meanings in English.

The third difficulty involves aligning the libretto with the conception of the stage director for a particular production. Changes sometimes need to be made to accommodate a director’s vision. This clearly was the case with Opera Pacific’s production of “Madama Butterfly” in November.

Pasles detailed these problems sympathetically and presented a useful caveat for all attendees: Pay close attention and the experience will be fruitful.

Incidentally, I am the principal surtitles coordinator for Opera Pacific.

DAVID HEADLAND

Santa Ana