I just happen to disagree with her.

I have the utmost respect for her knowledge of Italian (mine is extremely limited), her expertise in the Italian theatre, and Italian opera libretti (I read the supertitles and trust the translations). I do not believe that her letter to the editor (which I reproduce below with her permission, along with my reply) was about those areas of expertise, so I offer a contradictory opinion.

Blogs are about the writer's opinions, and then space is left for the readers to reply. I sent her a copy of my response, along with the same invitation that I give to you all. Please add your comments—to this or to any other article that I write—by clicking on the word "comments" at the end of any article.

Professor Savoia's letter to the Post Gazette:

"Pittsburgh Opera's postcard is silly and sensational"

A few days ago I received a postcard announcing the imminent Pittsburgh Opera production of Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci." In an attempt to attract a public large enough to offset the high costs in staging operas these days, the people responsible for the creation for the advertisement opted for the truly sensational.

The card sports the most vibrant colors imaginable (magenta, turquoise, yellow, orange and red!) and employs an array of letter fonts and sizes. You would be wrong to think that the title of the opera must be prominently featured. In spite of the logo devised to complement the name of the opera (an umbrella-shaped tent reminiscent of ... the circus?! Don't they know that "Pagliacci" stands for "players" or "comedians" and does not mean, in this case, "clowns"?), you promptly forget about it. In fact, the variety of items on the card is such that not only can you not linger on the name of the opera it is supposed to bring to your attention, but also pretty quickly you either feel dizzy and overwhelmed, or lose all of your interest (or both).

The price of tickets, the phone number to call for reservations, the address of the Web site to visit for gathering other (meaningful?) information, and luring phrases such as "Feel the blaze of fiery Italian opera!", not to mention a Pittsburgh Opera Trivia Quiz (complete with its silver "scratch-me-with-a-coin-to-unveil-the-correct-answer" dots) are some of the items on one side of the card.

On the other side, the "Opera Lady" advises you (how I wish she wouldn't!) on "authentic" Italian pronunciation, informs you that the opera lasts only 90 minutes (as if this were its most attractive quality) and dispenses other relevant bits of information (such as the fact that Rice Krispies once appropriated the tenor's aria for a memorable commercial jingle!).

My outrage may have something to do with the fact that I truly love opera, that I was born and grew up in Italy, and when I decided to live in the States and left my family behind, it helped that I could teach my language and culture at Pitt for a living. But I surely hope that others feel as insulted as I do.

Shame on you, Pittsburgh Opera! My students are among the people your campaign is targeting and, if my colleagues and I have taught them well, I will not have to point out to them that a very poor knowledge and understanding of Italian culture and a very reductive, if not perverse notion of what opera can still contribute to the entertainment and enrichment of our lives, transpires from your advertisement.

Francesca Savoia
Squirrel Hill

My reply to Professor Savoia

This letter is in response to Francesca Savoia's letter of October 5, commenting on Pittsburgh Opera's postcard. I also received a copy of this card, and while I noticed the bold coloration, I realized that it was a marketing piece. Ms. Savoia and I are both supporters and lovers of the opera (I am also the primary contributer to the OperaBlog - http://www.pittsburghopera.org/operablog/ - but unlike the Opera Lady, I am not on the staff). However, surprising as it may sound, there are Pittsburghers who are not natural lovers of opera, and must be enticed!

As Ms. Savoia knows, stereotypes of opera abound, and interminable length is one of them. Mentioning the brevity of Pagliacci is just good business - even as a computer scientist and writer, I recognize this!

But I think that we can all be forgiven ignorance outside of our areas of expertise. With a PhD in Italian, certainly Ms. Savoia should forgive what she sees as a mistranslation of "Pagliacci". My Italian/English dictionary says that "Pagliaccio" means "clown" and that "Pagliacci" is the plural. I am certain that we all can be forgiven if we miss a cultural subtley...

Many Pittsburghers the age of Ms. Savoia's students will also remember Krusty the Klown singing the Rice Krispies jingle in The Simpsons cartoon. I laughed and saw it as a way to tie into the collective unconscious. And although I was blessed with a multilingual upbringing, as a language professor I am sure you realizes that helping people pronounce foreign words will make them better communicators. Would you rather that the "Opera Lady" left her audience ignorant of the proper way to speak unfamiliar phonemes? How can people talk about something they can't pronounce?

Pagliacci is a fantastic opera, riviting and emotional, with a deep look into the human condition. I am happy to know enough about opera and language to appreciate it. It is silly to be insulted by the color of ink that is used in an advertisment. Please, professor - the music is what matters, not the marketing. Give others a chance to see the opera and make up their own minds!

Daniel Klein
Squirrel Hill

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