Electronic libretto

An electronic libretto system is a device used primarily in opera houses which presents translations of lyrics into an audience's language or transcribes lyrics that may be difficult to understand when sung. Since 1983, projected supertitles or surtitles have been commonly used in opera or other theatrical and musical performances, and they have proven to be a commercial success in art forms such as opera which are generally performed in their original language. However, for many people , supertitles interfered with their enjoyment of a performance, because they tended to find themselves following the titles and not giving their full attention to the stage. This problem was answered by the development of an electronic libretto system, which utilizes individual screens placed on the back of each seat, thus allowing patrons either to view a translation or to switch them off during the performance.