Vocalist.org archive


From:  Linda Fox <linda@f...>
Linda Fox <linda@f...>
Date:  Fri Jan 26, 2001  5:05 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Translation for Gianni Schicchi


Kate Reid wrote:
>
> Hello everyone,
> A small theater company in my town is going to be putting
> on Gianni Schicchi next year, and somehow (I'm never sure
> how these things happen!) I was tricked into being the
> assistant director, as well as perhaps (hopefully!) singing
> Lauretta. I barely knew the role, let alone the whole
> opera, until a few days ago, and I'm only 16-years-old, but
> my teacher really thinks that getting involved in this
> production will build character. What this really means,
> of course, is that I'm responsible for doing all the time
> consuming busy work :) The opera is going to be performed
> in English translation, because our audience is not a
> particularly educated one, and my teacher assigned me the
> task of finding a respectable translation that is singable,
> true to the original libretto, and that preserves the
> opera's humour. As I said, I am not particularly familiar
> with Gianni Schicchi. What translation is most commonly
> used? The one is my score (Ricordi) is by Anne and Herbert
> Grossman. Is this a standard translation?
>
> Many thanks to all who reply!
>

I'm going to be replying to Kate privately with details of the
translation I made a couple of years ago. In all modesty I think it's
better and more singable (and funnier) than either of the ones I read in
the Ricordi scores available here (or I wouldn't have gone to the
trouble of making it). But can someone please tell me where I stand on
copyright here? It isn't published. Puccini's music is out of copyright,
but the Italian librettist, who isn't even credited in the vocal score
(!) apparently died only in the 60s or 70s. Is my translation an
infringement of the copyright here? Would anyone performing it need to
get permission from the original publisher? For that matter, would I?
Does it make a difference whether or not I charge for its use?

It comes in the form of a voices-only score (with a running piano
accompaniment part on a single small stave) produced using Sibelius
software. There would have been no way I could have provided just the
words for singers to write in, as it was necessary to make slight
rhythmic changes all over the place, to fit the recitative music to the
words. Therefore, what I am providing is my own text, and some
out-of-copyright melodic lines.

Informed advice, anyone, please?

Linda

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