# Listening to operas in tounges you know? (Advice needed)



## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

I'm very good at French, and ok in Russian, and the operas in both languages I know, tend to be very difficult to listen to specific words. I'm unsure if it requires retraining my ear for the sung language vs the spoken, or am I perhaps listening to people who don't sing it very well to begin with?


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

In my limited experience, it is difficult to understand sung language, whether in lieder or opera, although there are occasional exceptions. Sometimes vowels are stretched over many notes and become unrecognizable. I think it requires retraining the ear for the sung language vs. the spoken. No doubt, it becomes easier with experience and/or following the text a few times.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I can't even understand English, my own language. I always need to read the English subtitles on the back of the Met seats.
It goes with the territory.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I became accustomed to listening to complete opera recordings from about the age of 14 , and following the librettos with the English translation next to them helped familiarize me with Italian, French , German, Russian and Czech , also making it easier for me to read and understand other Romance, Germanic and Slavic languages . 
That was ages ago ,;ong before CDs existed ! Some time ago, I borrowed a recording of the rarely perfomred Gounod opera Mireille , but thewre was no libretto unfortunately . However , having become familiar with French long ago, I was able to understand much of what was being sung .


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I have a number of recordings of British and American vocal works which offer no texts, and even though English is my only language there is quite a lot I don't catch, especially if the work is choral or where the vocals are accompanied by an orchestra. This has always been the case with me - when I used to listen exclusively to rock music I had similar trouble with a lot of lyrics, unlike most of my friends with similar tastes who were far more adept at picking them out.


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## Speranza (Nov 22, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> I can't even understand English, my own language. I always need to read the English subtitles on the back of the Met seats.
> It goes with the territory.


So glad it is not just me. I can't watch anything without subtitles.


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## xpangaeax (Oct 1, 2013)

I have a notoriously hard time understanding lyrics of even pop music in English or some other language I know, so in Opera a libretto is 100% required for me to have on hand. I know Russian very well and German and Italian decently, but even still want subtitles/libretto when watching/listening respectively.


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