Opera surtitling in Poland: an uncharted area of AVT?

Abstract

Abstract Audiovisual translation has become a common subject of a number of scientific articles, special issues of translation journals or conferences. It may seem that this fascinating area of research has been examined thoroughly and may only be investigated further from the point of view of technological improvements in human communication. However, there are certain modalities of AVT which may appear to have been neglected from the scientific point of view. This article is aimed at discussing such a modality of AVT, namely opera surtitling. It concentrates on surtitling strategies employed by Polish opera houses, which are discussed mainly from the point of view of the semiotics of opera and AVT theory. Results of a questionnaire survey on surtitling conducted among operatic audiences are provided to support the discussion. The surtitling strategies as well as particular techniques observed in provided samples are confronted with the accepted practice, which arises from the theoretical prerequisites and seems common to most famous opera houses. It all helps to arrive at the conclusion that this particular AVT modality is a demanding task, requiring both translational and extra-linguistic expertise.