# Subtitles for Operas



## jstevens526 (Apr 20, 2016)

My favorite opera is Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele...and I am desperately searching for a downloadable video of the show with English subtitles. I have found several youtube clips etc...but none of them have English subtitles. I know the story very well and I pretty much know what everyone is saying, but I would like to show it to my wife/friends and they won't really "get it" if they don't know what s being said...and I don't want to have to narrate the whole show. 

I know there is a DVD out there somewhere...but I was hoping to find a downloadable video OR if someone has a subtitle file I can download and apply to the version I already have that would work too.

On a side note--are there any websites/sources for finding great operas with English subtitles that I may not know about??

Thanks!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

jstevens526 said:


> My favorite opera is Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele...and I am desperately searching for a downloadable video of the show with English subtitles. I have found several youtube clips etc...but none of them have English subtitles. I know the story very well and I pretty much know what everyone is saying, but I would like to show it to my wife/friends and they won't really "get it" if they don't know what s being said...and I don't want to have to narrate the whole show.
> 
> I know there is a DVD out there somewhere...but I was hoping to find a downloadable video OR if someone has a subtitle file I can download and apply to the version I already have that would work too.
> 
> ...


Hello and welcome to the forum and you'll find several fans of Mefistofele here! The famous Samuel Ramey version was on YouTube with English subtitles but it was removed and I don't know of any other. You should be able to find a cheap DVD though.

This guy painstakingly produces full length operas with double subtitles but as you can see, they're quickly removed.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I hate going to the opera with subtitles or supertitles.

People should do their homework-become familiar with the libretto and learn a few key phrases in Italian, French and German that keep recurring.

No need to be distracted by every translated word and miss half the opera.


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## ma7730 (Jun 8, 2015)

hpowders said:


> I hate going to the opera with subtitles or supertitles.
> 
> People should do their homework-become familiar with the libretto and learn a few key phrases in Italian, French and German that keep recurring.
> 
> No need to be distracted by every translated word and miss half the opera.


Um, cool, but that's not really helpful or what this thread is about...


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Welcome to the forum, especially to another _Mefistofile_, there's a few of us here. (I've seen 3 different productions in the last year, and am always looking for others.) The famous San Francisco production with Samuel Ramey is on DVD and is surely an essential purchase for any fan of this work. Then you can enjoy it at your leisure, lend to others, etc.


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## Lafo (May 18, 2013)

There's one on the archive.org. It's the version with Ramey and has English subtitles. However, the player is very unconvenient (with lags), and it's a poor VHS version: https://archive.org/details/Mefistofele .


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

ma7730 said:


> Um, cool, but that's not really helpful or what this thread is about...


You better get used too it, anyway, all is said, welcome also


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## jstevens526 (Apr 20, 2016)

Thanks for the replies...I will keep researching and be on the look out for the DVD mentioned. I am glad there are others who love the show as much as I do, although I have not been able to see it live anywhere yet. I just discovered this forum yesterday and I was very happy...I have such a hard time finding fellow classical/opera enthusiasts that I'm glad that there is at least an online community. Thanks again for the assistance.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I have a son who is ADHD. I know he likes magic and some good old violence so I cornered him one day, gave him a brief summary about the story and "the devil doing mean tricks and magic stuff like Mr. Mistophele in the show 'Cats'" and asked him to watch this opera with me and anytime he's had enough I wouldn't be hurt if he just says, "that's enough." 
I started the Ramey DVD. 
After the first act I said, "okay, you can go now if you want to" to which he replied, "no I like it." He stayed to the very end, got a bit of education, and didn't have any subtitles although every once in a while I remarked things like, "now he's going to entice her to go to bed with him" stuff like that to keep him interested, and he really enjoyed himself.

So maybe English titles aren't at all necessary. I never had one when I first saw it and I was completely entranced.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

nina foresti said:


> I have a son who is ADHD. I know he likes magic and some good old violence so I cornered him one day, gave him a brief summary about the story and "the devil doing mean tricks and magic stuff like Mr. Mistophele in the show 'Cats'" and asked him to watch this opera with me and anytime he's had enough I wouldn't be hurt if he just says, "that's enough."
> I started the Ramey DVD.
> After the first act I said, "okay, you can go now if you want to" to which he replied, "no I like it." He stayed to the very end, got a bit of education, and didn't have any subtitles although every once in a while I remarked things like, "now he's going to entice her to go to bed with him" stuff like that to keep him interested, and he really enjoyed himself.
> 
> So maybe English titles aren't at all necessary. I never had one when I first saw it and I was completely entranced.


_Faust_ is an awesome opera to start with! This was the first opera I saw live, and I loved it. I think half the reason why a lot of people don't like opera is that they're given something dull like _Traviata _or Puccini. _Faust_ had the devil, black magic, duels, murder, the soldiers' chorus, the church scene (Mephistopheles playing the organ, Marguerite in a circle of fire), the jewel song...

Subtitles are good! Traditionally one reason why opera was inaccessible is that it was in a language the audience might not speak. Subtitles remove that barrier. If you don't like them, you can ignore them.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

This is really a luxury question, I understand that poster want a download but if one search right you find a good DVD for a reasonable price.
Spare just one minute for those who will never will being seeing subtitles , we ( the Dutch ) only have them when they are on T.V.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> _Faust_ is an awesome opera to start with! This was the first opera I saw live, and I loved it. I think half the reason why a lot of people don't like opera is that they're given something dull like _Traviata _or Puccini. _Faust_ had the devil, black magic, duels, murder, the soldiers' chorus, the church scene (Mephistopheles playing the organ, Marguerite in a circle of fire), the jewel song...
> 
> Subtitles are good! Traditionally one reason why opera was inaccessible is that it was in a language the audience might not speak. Subtitles remove that barrier. If you don't like them, you can ignore them.


Some of us do not consider either La Traviata or the operas by Puccini as dull.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Pugg said:


> Spare just one minute for those who will never will being seeing subtitles , we ( the Dutch ) only have them when they are on T.V.


Indeed, I have never seen a DVD with subtitles in Dutch. And in some of your opera houses you have to share your surtitles with English ones.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> I have a son who is ADHD. I know he likes magic and some good old violence so I cornered him one day, gave him a brief summary about the story and "the devil doing mean tricks and magic stuff like Mr. Mistophele in the show 'Cats'" and asked him to watch this opera with me and anytime he's had enough I wouldn't be hurt if he just says, "that's enough."
> I started the Ramey DVD.
> After the first act I said, "okay, you can go now if you want to" to which he replied, "no I like it." He stayed to the very end, got a bit of education, and didn't have any subtitles although every once in a while I remarked things like, "now he's going to entice her to go to bed with him" stuff like that to keep him interested, and he really enjoyed himself.
> 
> So maybe English titles aren't at all necessary. I never had one when I first saw it and I was completely entranced.


Sounds like good family fun.  My daughters liked Louise (unsubtitled version from the Bel Canto Society) and were on the edge of their seats as André Pernet was chasing Grace Moore around the room. The older one also happily watched an old unsubtitled Soviet film of Iolanta which used actors with dubbed voices (?) and had a not-inappropriate Disney Princess look to it. They were both very interested in a German language film of Blaubarts Burg, chiefly because of the lovely and beautifully costumed Ana Raquel Satre. Unfortunately they were rather distressed by the ending- I had mistakenly told them that Judith got away  - and were afraid to go to the bathroom alone for quite a few days in case a murderous baritone was lurking therein!


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## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

hpowders said:


> I hate going to the opera with subtitles or supertitles.
> 
> People should do their homework-become familiar with the libretto and learn a few key phrases in Italian, French and German that keep recurring.
> 
> No need to be distracted by every translated word and miss half the opera.


It varies with individuals, but I haven't found subtitles or supertitles to be distracting, even less so if I am familiar with the opera. Even operas in English can be hard to follow, with many singers more concerned with vocal production than communication (Bryn Terfel a glorious exception.) In any case, they have never interfered with my enjoyment of an opera and often enhance it.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Don Fatale said:


> Welcome to the forum, especially to another *Mefistofile*, there's a few of us here. (I've seen 3 different productions in the last year, and am always looking for others.) The famous San Francisco production with Samuel Ramey is on DVD and is surely an essential purchase for any fan of this work. Then you can enjoy it at your leisure, lend to others, etc.


Just noticed that - nice one!! Am a bit slow this week :lol:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

hpowders said:


> I hate going to the opera with subtitles or supertitles.
> 
> People should do their homework-become familiar with the libretto and learn a few key phrases in Italian, French and German that keep recurring.
> 
> No need to be distracted by every translated word and miss half the opera.


As I regard opera as a relaxing form of entertainment and don't wish to spend my evenings mugging up on languages when someone else has done it already I say 'Hail subtitles!'


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I have never seen an opera summary that was complete. And I rarely find librettos interesting enough to read on their own, and doing so seems incomplete. It's really the opposite issue of reading a summary, it's too easy to get bogged down in the words and miss what is actually going on. So I appreciate subtitles (and supertitles), especially when trying to understand the plot on an intellectual level, and how an opera works, along with how specific performance and production choices tie to the text.

But for actually connecting with the opera, for inhabiting the emotional world of the opera... I do often find subtitles distracting. They forefront the plot and libretto, which are often the most uninteresting and/or otherwise questionable parts of an opera. The music from the orchestra and the voices should be telling the emotional story. My instinct is generally to try and understand everything, but it is when I can ignore that instinct that an opera can be the most moving. It's a weird balance between zoning out and remaining engaged. Sometimes it is when I know the work well enough to quiet my worries, or when the music and visuals are compelling enough on their own to block out other concerns.

So subtitles are great when I'm trying to evaluate an opera, but I'd prefer the to not be in my vision when I'm trying to really connect with a performance.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I happen to be a person who is familiar with enough operas that I don't happen to prefer subtitles nor do I need them, but I can tell you for sure that if I am seeing an opera I have never seen or am only lightly familiar from reading a synopsis of the opera, I will damn well be pleased to have those subtitles available to help me.
My mate is much newer to opera and definitely requires subtitles. He is not the type to "do his homework and become familiar with a libretto and learn a few phrases in another language". That's a lot to ask of some people. It is more important for them to walk away with a positive experience than one that becomes a classroom exercise.
For those who need subtitles there is definitely a place for them. For those who don't, ignore them!


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Incidentally I just watched a Prince video; he sung in English but there were English subtitles. It was really distracting. I tried to ignore them but there's something about words on a screen; they draw the eye and almost demand to be read!

Though, as distractions go there are plenty others that are worse, including other people around you talking, coughing, fidgeting, etc.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Honestly how can people be so sensitive of subtitles I can understand with surtitles were you have to turn away your head from the scene to read them but for subtitles on a screen is the viewing field that narrow for some people?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

The Met has its subtitles on the chair in front of you. I actually think THAT is a much worse distraction because if you need to read it you have to squint your eyes because the stage lights are so bright and you miss all the action onstage.
Frankly, I prefer titles above the proscenium.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I really liked the Met Titles. The experience depends some on where you're sitting, though. I rarely sat close, so it was generally a decent angle. And, really, since the Met's stage is so tall, projected titles would be almost unreadable for anyone sitting close anyway, so.

I liked being able to occasionally glance at the titles. I liked that you didn't have to turn them on. And that you have several different languages to choose from, sometimes including the original.

I bet the way the Met Titles turned out have a lot to do with not just the vast stage, but also James Levine's resistance to having them at all.


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## versafan (Apr 23, 2016)

I've started a project to record my Decca Solti Ring boxed set and create youtube videos which sync the libretto to the music for each record. The idea is to make it easier for people who own the records to read the libretto without getting lost. Or of course people who don't have the records can enjoy the videos as-is. I turn down the sound on my ipad and start my record at the same time as the video. So far only Das Rheingold is finished but I'm working on Die Walkure now.

If you or someone you know is interested in these please share this link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlhoCcBkcZ3R-ufof6AbGlL5Y4KThz_F6


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Great job Versafan. I hope you'll stick around and enjoy our Wagner discussion. This is obviously a labour of love for you.


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## versafan (Apr 23, 2016)

Yes it is. Sure I will stick around. I will look for Wagner threads but feel free to point me in the right direction.



Don Fatale said:


> Great job Versafan. I hope you'll stick around and enjoy our Wagner discussion. This is obviously a labour of love for you.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

versafan said:


> Yes it is. Sure I will stick around. I will look for Wagner threads but feel free to point me in the right direction.


In The opera section are at least 3 special Wagner :tiphat: threads


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

sospiro said:


> Just noticed that - nice one!! Am a bit slow this week :lol:


Or perhap it should be _Mefistophile_? We certainly exist, that's for sure.


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## versafan (Apr 23, 2016)

4 sides of Die Walkure uploaded today.


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## versafan (Apr 23, 2016)

I took a break but trying to finish Die Walkure today. Sides 5 and 6 are up. Transcribing the final 2 LPs now.

Full playlist is here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlhoCcBkcZ3R-ufof6AbGlL5Y4KThz_F6


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Pugg said:


> This is really a luxury question, I understand that poster want a download but if one search right you find a good DVD for a reasonable price.


Unless one is living in abject poverty, it seems a good used DVD is not that expensive.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

versafan said:


> I took a break but trying to finish Die Walkure today. Sides 5 and 6 are up. Transcribing the final 2 LPs now.
> 
> Full playlist is here:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlhoCcBkcZ3R-ufof6AbGlL5Y4KThz_F6


Great effort, and as a LP fan myself I really appreciate it. However, you should put a few more detail in the description.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Ferruccio Furlanetto also has an excellent DVD of _Mefistofeles._


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Florestan said:


> Unless one is living in abject poverty, it seems a good used DVD is not that expensive.


But...the again,living in poverty means no internet also for O.P .


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## versafan (Apr 23, 2016)

Thanks for the feedback. It's a lot of work just getting the libretto synchronized to the music. Basically it took me all day to finish the remaining 3 LPs of Die Walkure so I didn't take much time on descriptions yet. All 10 sides are done now finally!



Don Fatale said:


> Great effort, and as a LP fan myself I really appreciate it. However, you should put a few more detail in the description.


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