Show SHAKESPEARE AIDS IN OPERA OPER f t I Conductor Uses Works to Q 4 L- L Translate Masterpiece Ji J 0 of f v Verdi er d. d I J NEW NEW YORK Fritz Reiner the distinguished conductor just has concluded a collaboration ration r with William Shakespeare I It was undertaken en as as' as asa a result of ot Dr Di Reiners firm belief belie that the 1 practice of giving hiving opera in iri foreign languages is a ridiculous mistake partly due to the thc snobbish attitude of oC the initiates par partly ly to the fact tact that imported musicians dont don't wish to undertake the extra labor of relearning relearning re- re learning parts and partly because of p poor or translations I hI I wouldn't even argue the ques tion said Dr Reiner Relner Of Ot or course courseS course we should be able to understand what we hear Getting the translations is a tough rough job Nobody knows that better better bet bet- ter than Alexander Small ens and myself my self who share the direction of the theP P Philadelphia orchestras orchestra's opera season ason this winter If It there is no decent translation or if singers who can canor 0 or will sing English are not available available avail avail- able opera must be given in the Ian Ian- guage gua in which it is written written written-of of course But p personally Ill I'll go to an any lengths to to obtain a translation That's how 1 I happen to have collaborated col with Shakespeare We had announced Verdis Verdi's Falstaff Fal Tal- staff Ita for lor February 1 I 2 and 5 5 in an English translation by John Jonn Erskine Certain complications decided Mr 1 Erskine Erakine against making the translation tion tion an excess of ot work So SoI I did it it myself An adequate translator must be bo three things a musician a man who ho knows singing and a poet I probably probably probe ably could qualify for the first two but certainly not the last That's why I took Shakespeare into part part- Ive spent uncounted hours with th the Falstaff score Shakespeare's cares ares text and a pad before me |