Supertitle

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Supertitles or surtitles are translated or transcribed lyrics projected above a stage or displayed on a screen, commonly used in opera or other musical performances. The word "surtitle" comes from the French "sur", meaning "over" or "on", and the English word "title".

Supertitles are used either to translate the meaning of the lyrics into the audience's language, or to transcribe lyrics that may be difficult to understand in the sung form. The two possible types of presentation of supertitles are as projected text, or as the electronic libretto system. Titles in the theatre have proven a commercial success in areas such as opera, and are finding increased use for allowing hearing impaired patrons to enjoy theatre productions more fully.

[edit] Projected titles or translations

Generally projected above the theatre's proscenium arch (but, alternately, on either side of the stage), supertitles are usually displayed using a supertitling machine. The text must be prepared beforehand as in subtitles. These machines can be used for events other than artistic performances, when the text is easier to show to the audience than it is to vocalize.

Supertitles are different from subtitles, which are more often used in film and television presentations. Originally, translations would be broken up into small chunks and photographed onto slides that could be projected onto a screen above the stage, but most companies now use a combination of video projectors and computers. It is generally agreed that the first performance of opera using surtitles was the Canadian Opera Company's January 1983 staging of Elektra.

[edit] Electronic libretto system

Many people believe that surtitles can interfere with the enjoyment of a show, because they tend to find themselves following the titles and not giving their full attention to the stage. This problem was solved by the development of an electronic libretto system, which utilizes individual screens placed in front of each seat allowing patrons either to view a translation or to switch them off during the performance. New York's Metropolitan Opera is a notable example of a house that uses this system.