What Language Are Most Operas Performed In?

One of the first surprises for people discovering opera is that there isn’t one universal language of opera.

You might attend an Italian opera one evening, a German opera the next, and then discover a French or Russian masterpiece.

Opera is an international art form, and composers have traditionally written in the language that best suited their audience, culture and story.

So if you don’t speak Italian, German or French, does that mean you won’t understand what’s happening?

Not at all.

Modern opera houses make it surprisingly easy to follow the story.

Italian Is One of the Most Important Opera Languages

When people think of opera, Italian is probably the first language that comes to mind.

There’s a good reason.

Opera developed in Italy around 1600, and Italian remained enormously important as the art form spread throughout Europe.

Some of the world’s most famous operas are in Italian, including:

La Traviata
La Bohème
Rigoletto
Aida
Tosca
Madama Butterfly
The Barber of Seville

Italian composers such as Verdi, Puccini and Rossini helped make Italian opera one of the central traditions of the art form.

But Opera Isn’t Just Italian

Some of the most important operas were written in other languages.

German

German opera includes major works by Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner and Richard Strauss.

Examples include:

The Magic Flute
Fidelio
Tristan und Isolde
Der Rosenkavalier

French

French opera has its own distinctive tradition.

Famous examples include:

Carmen
Faust
Les Contes d’Hoffmann
Pelléas et Mélisande

Russian

Russian composers created an extraordinary operatic tradition.

Works include:

Boris Godunov
Eugene Onegin
The Queen of Spades

Czech

Czech opera includes important works by composers such as Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák.

English

There are also many English-language operas.

Benjamin Britten is one of the most important English-language opera composers of the 20th century.

Why Was Italian So Closely Associated With Opera?

Italian was important not simply because opera originated in Italy.

The language itself was well suited to singing.

Its open vowels and relatively clear syllable structure can make sung words easier to project and understand.

But language wasn’t the only reason Italian became dominant.

Italy also became an important center for opera houses, composers, singers and musical development.

As opera spread, Italian composers and performers helped establish traditions that would influence the rest of Europe.

Do You Need to Understand the Language?

Fortunately, no.

Opera houses commonly provide supertitles, which are projected above or beside the stage.

They work somewhat like subtitles in a foreign-language film.

You can listen to the original language while reading an English translation.

This is actually one of the best ways to experience opera.

You get the original sound of the language while still understanding the story.

What Are Supertitles?

Supertitles are translated words displayed above the stage during an opera performance.

They’re especially useful if the opera is being performed in a language you don’t speak.

Some opera houses also provide titles in multiple languages.

The exact system varies by venue.

Should You Read the Translation the Whole Time?

You don’t have to.

If you constantly stare at the words, you can miss what is happening on stage.

Try looking at the translation when you need clarification, then return your attention to the singers.

After a while, you’ll probably find a rhythm that works for you.

You don’t need to translate every single word to understand the emotional meaning of a scene.

What About the Libretto?

The libretto is the text of the opera.

It contains the words sung by the performers and often includes the dramatic structure of the work.

Reading the libretto before a performance can help you become familiar with the story.

We’ll explore that in much more detail in our next beginner’s guide.

Why Don’t Opera Companies Just Translate Everything?

Sometimes they do.

Historically, operas were often translated and performed in the local language.

Today, however, many major opera companies prefer to perform works in their original language.

There are several reasons.

The original language is part of the musical composition.

Changing the words can affect:

Rhythm
Syllables
Rhyme
Meaning
Musical accents

A translation may communicate the story accurately while changing the way the words fit the music.

What Language Should a Beginner Start With?

Italian can be a comfortable place to begin because so many famous beginner-friendly operas are Italian.

But don’t feel that you need to start with Italian opera.

If The Magic Flute interests you, start with Mozart.

If Carmen attracts you, start with Bizet.

If Wagner fascinates you, explore German opera.

The best first opera is usually the one that makes you curious enough to press play.

Final Thoughts

Opera is one of the world’s most international art forms.

Italian may be its most famous language, but opera has been written in German, French, Russian, Czech, English and many other languages.

And thanks to supertitles, you don’t need to speak any of them to enjoy the performance.

Instead of worrying about understanding every word, listen to the music, watch the performers and use the translations when you need them.

Before long, you may even start recognizing familiar words and phrases yourself.

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