Surtitles as part of opera performances - Wagner's Siegfried

The translation of surtitles for opera performances is not only determined by technological factors, bur also by the production itself Guidelines for the translation of Wagner's opera Siegfried in the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London produced two completely different types of surtitles. In the Theatre du Chatelet the translation was closely geared to the individual production, whereas at "Covent Garden" surtitles were created that were less dependent on the production concerned. To a certain extent however the production is always linked up with the translation, because the function of-surtitles is to provide the audience with information that is coherent with the events on stage. Surtitles are an integral component of the Gesamtkunstwerk opera, and they are produced by translators in cooperation with specialists from various departments of the opera house - directors, musicians, technicians - according to their roles in the actual production.