# Understanding non English Operas better? (French, German, Italian etc)



## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

I have a nearly fluent French vocabulary, and I've been told I speak it well, so this is not my issue. I also have a decent grasp of Italian, though I've only really just begun it. Opera was one of the reasons, though not the only one I decided to learn these two languages. My problem is, is that I can't seem to understand a word someone sings without French or Italian subtitles. Is it that I don't listen to enough opera, or what? Are there things I can do to shift my listening to a singing mode? I listen to more spoken French and Italian than singing. Maybe that's part of it. I even went back to my old beginner stuff to see if I somehow missed something in my learning. So what can I do to help improve my listening skills when it comes to singing?


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Manok said:


> I have a nearly fluent French vocabulary, and I've been told I speak it well, so this is not my issue. I also have a decent grasp of Italian, though I've only really just begun it. Opera was one of the reasons, though not the only one I decided to learn these two languages. My problem is, is that I can't seem to understand a word someone sings without French or Italian subtitles. Is it that I don't listen to enough opera, or what? Are there things I can do to shift my listening to a singing mode? I listen to more spoken French and Italian than singing. Maybe that's part of it. I even went back to my old beginner stuff to see if I somehow missed something in my learning. So what can I do to help improve my listening skills when it comes to singing?


Have you considered that it may not be your fault? Perhaps the singers need better diction.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Listen to Italian and French opera with the libretto in front of you or with the subtitles on. After a while you will know the words to your favourite pieces off by heart and further down the line you will be able to understand most of what is being sung even when it is an opera you don't know (unless the singers' diction is REALLY poor).

N.


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## Scott in PA (Aug 13, 2016)

It has always been difficult to hear individual words and sentences being sung to operatic lines. Sometimes the heavy orchestration will obscure words. In other cases, the composer will emphasize the melodic line and exploit vowel sounds at the expense of semantic coherence. Think also how difficult it can be to hear English words, even to popular songs, and how we consult sites that contain song lyrics to see if we got it right.

It's okay to consult the libretto first. Wagner had the libretto to his Ring tetralogy published well before the operas were even completed, so his anticipated audience could already be "up to speed" not just on the story but be familiar with the actual verses.

If you want the immediate effect of hearing and understanding words being sung, without any prior consultation of the libretto, then try Debussy's _Pelleas et Melisande_. The orchestration is light and the opera's constant parlando style should make it easier to discern virtually the entire text. I do like this opera, but I know I would love it more if I understood French better.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

> So what can I do to help improve my listening skills when it comes to singing?


Read the score/ libretto whilst listening. it's that simple.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Are you listening to non-native Francophones singing French? Properly sung French should be clear and easy to understand, even without the libretto.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I am a voice-over actor and am accustomed to speaking and enunciating words quite clearly, yet I am at a loss to understand most operas (save Menotti's "The Consul") when sung in English and need the help of subtitles. So you are not alone.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

One tricky thing to watch out for in Italian opera is that it's common practice for two words to be elided together. So, for example, what might be written as "La vendetta è un piacer serbato ai saggi" comes out more like "La vendettayun piacer' serbatwai saggi". It all makes for a fine _legato_ line, but it can be confusing to the ear.


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## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

I've discovered that my problem is that I have learned a lot of these words by reading them in novels, or online, but never have actually heard them. This can be problematic in French, but not so much in Italian. I have also noticed that enunciation is different, with emphasis being on different syllables. I don't know if this is poor diction or just how it's done in singing French. I also guess that the solution is to use a libretto or subtitles until I am used to hearing them in a new way.


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