I hate to sound like a fangirl, but I guess I am. Castellaneta can sing ANYTHING. Listen to the Simpsons in New York musical 'I'm checkin in'. The consensus is he voices the judge and it's just really amazing. Also Robot Devil on Futurama. A lot of people can sing, but I've heard him sing beautifully on the Simpsons for like half a dozen totally different characters. And to be able to sing OPERA in an affected voice, that's pretty amazing.
now you have me wondering how he'd sound singing Rudolfo (his characters name in this opera) big romantic ballad 'Che gelida manina' (What a frozen little hand).
Translation of song. Actor: "Rodolfo, why are you here today?" Homer: "I damaged my foot. In the gray skies. I watch the smoke from A THOUSAND PARIS CHIMNEYS." That is deep.
Misheard lyrics: Rudolfo, per case e yet teg i trobutito? Oh, don't know jucoil mio piett-teh. H L E P G, what fart the mill, eh, plumbing lowly parichi. MIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII MIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
and here's the real one: Rodolfo, perché lete che vi trovate gio? Ho dannegiato il mio piede. Nei cieli bigi Guardo fumar dai mille comignoli parigi. Mimi! Mimi!
0:30 Can't believe I never noticed that. The 'L'amour' sign. Cute little reference to Baz Luhrmann's production of 'La Boheme' at the Sydney Opera House - he put that in all three movies of his 'Red Curtain Trilogy', we saw the L'amour sign in Romeo + Juliet and in Moulin Rouge!, it's in strictly ballroom but then its just as its inspiration, the Coca-Cola add.
Yeah in most operas there is a translation banner so you get the point of what's it all about. But most of the time it's just a very rudimentary translation not a word for word translation.
Yes, it's usually just a mini screen with the surtitles projected onto it, although I've seen some that use screens. The translation is just there to let you understand the story, it doesn't have the same poetic value as what's being sung.
