It wouldn't be fair to be singing in a production with the infamous Pocket Opera and not mention the wonders of Donald Pippin. He is somewhat of a legend here in San Francisco: after a stint at Harvard, Juilliard, and then as the pianist for George Balanchine, he moved to San Francisco in 1952 and has been and integral part of the San Francisco artistic scene ever since. From the Hungry I to the Old Spaghetti Factory, he went on to found Pocket Opera in 1978, utilizing his own translations in an intimate format, akin to how opera was originally intended. Pocket Opera was also one of the first to have a live radio broadcast. Since then, his translations have been used all over the country from the Washington Opera, to Juilliard, to Aspen, to San Diego Opera, and beyond.

But what makes these translations so unique? Why don't we just use what the Schirmer scores give us? (All due respect to Ruth and Thomas Martin. See an aside about that later....(:). The answer is simple: Pippin-ese.

Some people are good with numbers. Donald Pippin is good with words. They are his tools and the music is his template. He weaves them with such artistry: at once precise, simple, true-to-original, and yet amazingly artistic in their own right. The appearance of sneaky rhymes, word-play, and alliteration decorate the text, making it speak in a way such that it dances along with the music.

Let me say it here: English is not easy to sing. I would, in fact, count it as one of the most difficult. The singing mechanism prizes pure vowels and light consonants for nice tone. That is what makes Italian so lush. But English? Torture. Full of consonants that stop airflow (or at least try (:), and vowels that are no more singular than Hugh Hefner. (Dip-thong anyone?).

I think that is what turns most people off to translations in general. It is compromising the art, let alone what the composer intended (words=sounds=integral part of the music). Many consider it blasphemy. I actually counted myself one of them before I met Donald. I was a purist--I felt opera could only be sang in the original language. It was how it was meant to be. I would drag many a non-opera fan friend to see a production, and in my snooty way would say 'read the supertitles'. I would then find them frantically going back and forth between the stage and the words, barely catching the story, let alone the beauty of voices or the scenery. They never wanted to come again. Now that doesn't mean there aren't converts. Nor does it mean that opera should be always translated! (Gasp. NO!).  It just means that there is a demographic who could benefit from translations. People who could grow to love opera but wouldn't ordinarily try it. But the translations have to be such that they are just as magical as the original, AND singable. A task, I should say, can only be left to the truly unique. That is Donald.

Which brings me back to Ruth and Thomas Martin. I do have respect to this 'other' set of renowned translators: after all, shortly after college, I was randomly hired to sing at Ruth Martin's funeral service in New York City. (Someone told me I would probably never sing in front of so many prominent opera folk again. It was quite a turnout). However, as I sang the words I felt "They are okay. Sort of literal, but not really. That sounded a bit anachronistic. And it is hard to sing a high A on this vowel", etc.....Ergo, it didn't floor me. I did not become a convert.

With Donald, I am converted. I have grown to love his translations, and oddly enough, love singing them. And it seems audiences are too: the following is overwhelming, even at a time when many opera companies are floundering (or even closing, as another SF company did), Pocket's fans always come back for more. His translations are a part of it, and his often humorous, but also poignant interjections between scene changes allow the audience to become the educated viewers they deserve to be. To top it off, the orchestra and Pippin himself on the piano are aways in view, making the audience truly feel the intimacy of the experience.

But, despite my love for his words, learning them can be a bear. And God help you if you accidentally say 'could' instead of 'would', for example-. He WILL catch you. Every time. And he will make you go back and get it right. Everything needs to be sung as if it were spoken: no exceptions. He is precise in his translations, and he expects the same in their delivery. It is quite a meticulous process. A process to this day, less than a week until opening, I am still a bit nervous about. We want to be good messengers for Donald. We all respect and love him so. He is that good.

"Torture and rapture, bliss and despair".