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Opera has the unfortunate reputation of being a boring, high-brow form of entertainment, completely inaccessible to ordinary humans. In part, at least in the English-speaking world, that's because most great operatic masterpieces are in a foreign language. Short of becoming fluent in Italian, French, Russian and German, what can the interested outsider do to understand the story behind the arias?

The first and simplest key to understanding the libretto (that is, the story) is to read a translation in your mother tongue. You may receive one at the opera house door, in your program, but it would be difficult to read the entire story before the house lights go down. (Plus, the print is often tiny.) In order to enrich your opera-going experience, I recommend looking up the translation on the internet before you go. Try the English Opera Translations website, at http://www.englishoperatransla tions.com/.

Once you are seated in the opera house, armed with an understanding of the basic outline of the story, allow the stage dressings and performers to fill in some details for you. The sets, costumes, and acting should all provide ample hints about the story-line, reinforcing what you have learned through your research. Do you see the girl in the simple frock, holding a broom and nodding while the large woman in velvet sings at her? It's a safe guess that she is a servant. Did you notice that the bearded man started to reach for his sword when the handsome younger man made his entrance? They must be portraying the story's two romantic rivals.

Finally, and most importantly, the singing should let you in on the story, even if you can't understand a single word the performers pronounce. These singers have trained for years, possibly even decades, to learn how to express every imaginable emotion through their voices and gestures. Delight, dismay, fury, passion, heart-break... It's all there, in their voices. So sit back, try to relax, and let the music carry you away, to an understanding of the basic human feelings behind the music. That is the true story behind every opera libretto ever written; essentially, they are all about the human heart.

Learn more about this author, Kallie Szczepanski.
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