Figaro Systems

Last updated
Figaro Systems, Inc.
Company type Private
Founded1993
Headquarters,
Key people
Patrick Markle, president and CEO, Geoff Webb, VP
Website figarosystems.com{dead link}

Figaro Systems, Inc. is an American company that provides seatback and wireless titling software and system installations to opera houses and other music performance venues worldwide. The company is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was established in 1993 [1] by Patrick Markle, Geoff Webb, and Ron Erkman [2] and was the first company to provide assistive technology that enables individualized, simultaneous, multi-lingual dialogue and libretto-reading for audiences. [3]

Contents

History

Figaro Systems grew out of a conversation in 1992 among three opera colleagues: Patrick Markle, at that time Production Director of The Santa Fe Opera, Geoffrey Webb, Design Engineer for the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, and Ronald Erkman, then a technician for the Met. At that time, opera houses had two options for the display of libretto and dialogue subtitles: projection onto a large screen above the stage or onto smaller screens throughout the theatre. Typically, the translation was in a single language. [4]

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 had recently been enacted; Markle was trying to solve the problem of venues which lacked accessibility to patrons with disabilities, including the profoundly deaf. Markle, Webb, and Erkman devised the first prototype of a personal seatback titling device and John Crosby, then General Director of The Santa Fe Opera, saw its potential for opera patrons. [2] Markle, Webb, and Erkman were further reinforced by their understanding of technology's role in remediating the physical barriers people encounter, worldwide, which frustrate or prevent their access to the visual performing arts. [5] Markle, Webb, and Erkman applied for and were granted patents for their invention. [6] [7]

Philanthropist and investor Alberto Vilar counted Figaro Systems among the companies in which he was a majority shareholder. [8] He donated the company's electronic libretto system to European venues including the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala's Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, Italy, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain, and the Wiener Staatsoper in Wien, Austria. As a consequence of his failures to pay promised donations, most of these companies lost money.

In 2005 the Met charged the New Mexico company with unlawfully using its name in advertising promoting its "Simultext, system which defendant claims can display a simultaneous translation of an opera as it occurs on a stage and that defendant represented that its system is installed at the Met." [9]

Products and technology

The company's products are known variously as seat back titles, surtitles, [10] electronic libretto systems, opera supertitles, projected titles, and libretto translations.

Opera venues have utilized the system to display librettos in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish [11] although the software enables the reading of the libretto in any written language. [12] Translation is provided by one screen and delivery system per person. [13]

Typically, but not in all cases, the system is permanently installed along the backs of rows of seats. Each screen is positioned so that the text is clearly visible to each user. The displays were initially available in vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) and, in 2000, liquid-crystal display (LCD) was used. In 2004 the displays became available with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens. Each type of display provides the same text information and program annotation on eight channels simultaneously, may be turned off by the user, and is user-operated with a single button. The software is capable of supporting venues' existing systems as well as Figaro Systems' "Simultext" system. The software enables cueing of each line as it is sung, and it appears instantly on the screen. [12]

The company builds fully modular systems including its wireless handheld screens [14] for users who cannot use seatback systems, for example people in wheelchairs, who may be viewing the opera in areas lacking seatback viewing, or people with compromised eyesight.

Venues

In the US, the company's systems are in use in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House [15] in Denver, Colorado, The Santa Fe Opera in Santa Fe, [16] the Brooklyn Academy of Music [17] the Metropolitan Opera, New York, where it is called "MetTitles"), [18] the Roy E. Disney Theatre in Albuquerque's National Hispanic Cultural Center, McCaw Hall in Seattle, Washington, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri, the Des Moines Metro Opera in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Missouri. [2]

In the UK and Europe, the systems have been installed in venues including the Royal Opera House in London, the Teatro alla Scala and La Scala's Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, Italy, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain, and the Wiener Staatsoper in Wien, Austria. [19]

Awards

In 2001, the company won the Los Alamos Laboratories' Technology Commercialization Award for its Simultext system. [20]

In 2008, the company's software was one of four finalists for the Excellence Award for Commercial Software awarded by the New Mexico Information Technology and Software Association.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Alamos National Laboratory</span> Laboratory near Santa Fe, New Mexico

Los Alamos National Laboratory is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the American southwest. Best known for its central role in helping develop the first atomic bomb, LANL is one of the world's largest and most advanced scientific institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albuquerque, New Mexico</span> City in New Mexico, United States

Albuquerque, also known as ABQ, Burque, and the Duke City, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, and named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque and Viceroy of New Spain, it served as an outpost on El Camino Real linking Mexico City to the northernmost territories of New Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandia National Laboratories</span> National laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it has a second principal facility next to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, and a test facility in Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii. Sandia is owned by the U.S. federal government but privately managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International.

<i>Alceste</i> (Gluck) Opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck

Alceste, Wq. 37, is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck from 1767. The libretto was written by Ranieri de' Calzabigi and based on the play Alcestis by Euripides. The premiere took place on 26 December 1767 at the Burgtheater in Vienna.

<i>Der Schauspieldirektor</i> Opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Der Schauspieldirektor, K. 486, is a comic singspiel by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, set to a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, an Austrian Schauspieldirektor. Originally, it was written because of "the imperial command" of the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II who had invited 80 guests to a private luncheon. It is regarded as "a parody on the vanity of singers", who argue over status and pay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Opera</span> Opera company in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located 7 miles (11 km) north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the Opera Association of New Mexico in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby, oversaw the building of the first opera house on a newly acquired former guest ranch of 199 acres (0.81 km2). The company has presented operas each summer festival season since July 1957, and is internationally known for introducing new operas as well as for its productions of the standard operatic repertoire. Five operas are presented each season during the summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VTK</span> Free software software system for 3D computer graphics, image processing and visualization

The Visualization Toolkit (VTK) is a free software system for 3D computer graphics, image processing and scientific visualization.

John O’Hea Crosby was an American musician, conductor and arts administrator. He was the founding general director of The Santa Fe Opera, a company he oversaw for 43 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Gaddes</span> Arts administrator (1942–2023)

Richard Gaddes was a British opera company administrator based in the United States.

An electronic libretto system is used primarily in opera houses and is a device which presents translations of lyrics into an audience's language or transcribes lyrics that may be difficult to understand when sung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KABG</span> Radio station in Los Alamos, New Mexico

KABG is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Alamos, New Mexico, and serving the Santa Fe and Albuquerque radio markets. It is owned by American General Media and airs a classic hits radio format, playing Top 40 hits mostly from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. The radio studios and offices are located in Northeast Albuquerque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-touch</span> Technology

In computing, multi-touch is technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one point of contact with the surface at the same time. The origins of multitouch began at CERN, MIT, University of Toronto, Carnegie Mellon University and Bell Labs in the 1970s. CERN started using multi-touch screens as early as 1976 for the controls of the Super Proton Synchrotron. Capacitive multi-touch displays were popularized by Apple's iPhone in 2007. Multi-touch may be used to implement additional functionality, such as pinch to zoom or to activate certain subroutines attached to predefined gestures using gesture recognition.

The word titling, in the performing arts, defines the work of linguistic mediation encompassing subtitling and surtitling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOAZ</span> Radio station in Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico

KOAZ is a radio station licensed to Vanguard Media LLC. at Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico. It is operating at "Isleta" with 5,000 watts daytime and 25 watts nighttime, from 34°58′46.2″N106°44′15.1″W. The station serves the Albuquerque Metropolitan area. Its studios are located in Northeast Albuquerque.

Miriam Gauci is a Maltese operatic soprano, particularly associated with lyric Italian roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Michaels-Moore</span> English operatic baritone

Anthony Michaels-Moore is an English operatic baritone and the first British winner of the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition. Michaels-Moore has since performed in many of the world's major opera houses across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. He has distinguished himself as a specialist in Verdi and Puccini roles, most renowned for his portrayals of Falstaff, Nabucco, Rigoletto, Simon Boccanegra, Iago in Otello, Germont in La traviata, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and Scarpia in Tosca. In addition to the standard repertoire, he has sung and recorded the baritone roles of some of the less-known 19th Century Italian operas, as well as the popular English art song cycles by Stanford and Vaughan Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surtitles</span> Dialogue presented above a stage or screen

Surtitles, also known as supertitles, Captitles, SurCaps, OpTrans, are translated or transcribed lyrics/dialogue projected above a stage or displayed on a screen, commonly used in opera, theatre or other musical performances. The word "surtitle" comes from the French language sur, meaning "over" or "on", and the English language word "title", formed in a similar way to the related and similarly-named subtitles. The word Surtitle is a trademark of the Canadian Opera Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Kriegsman</span> Entrepreneur and software engineer (born 1966)

Mark Edwin Kriegsman is an American entrepreneur, computer programmer, inventor, writer, and former Director of Engineering at Veracode.

Radio Marconi is an Italian-based company that has installed and serviced audio-visual and radio equipment since 1993. It designs interactive multimedia communication systems. The company has also developed several applications for theaters, conference centers, museums and stadiums. During its lifespan, the company has become a service center for brands such as Sony, Sennheiser, Neumann, and Televic, with customers based in radio, television, theater, public authorities and security forces.

The term multilingual titling defines, in the field of titling for the performing arts, the chance for the audience to follow more than one linguistic option.

References

  1. Andrew Webb, “Opera Subtitle Firm Eyes New Game,” New Mexico Business Weekly, Nov. 21, 2003
  2. 1 2 3 Figaro Systems Official Website
  3. David Belcher, “Nothing Lost in Translation: Video [ dead link ]] system allows patrons to read words on chair backs,”] Albuquerque Journal, June 4, 2006
  4. Dennis Domrzalski, "Figaro: Eyes translate when ears don't get it", New Mexico Business Weekly, April 8, 2005
  5. ""[[User-friendly]] art: In-seat text displays that subtitle and translate", Auditoria, May 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
  6. United States Patent 5,739,869, "Electronic libretto display apparatus and method," issued April 14, 1998. United States Patent and Trademark Office
  7. Los Alamos Laboratory, Daily News Bulletin, May 7, 2001
  8. "A Knight at the Opera", Robert Hilferty, New York Magazine , January 14, 2002
  9. Timothy E. Eble, Class Action Litigation Information on classactionlitigation.com
  10. Eric Skelly, "Surtitles at the Opera," Public Radio News and Information in Houston, Texas, KUHF 88.7 FM Houston Public Radio on app1.kuhf.org/
  11. "Sandia helps 278 state businesses in 2004 through New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program," Sandia National Laboratories, Sandia Corporation, March 22, 2005 Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine on sandia.gov
  12. 1 2 “Giving the Opera a New Voice,” [ permanent dead link ] "Entertainment Engineering," Volume 4, Issue 2, p. 6
  13. Figaro Systems Official Website
  14. United States Patent 6,760,010. "Wireless electronic libretto display apparatus and method," issued July 6, 2004: United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent Full-Text and Image Database
  15. Marc Shulgold, "Opera dialogue shows on seat in front of you," Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colorado), September 3, 2005 on highbeam.com,
  16. Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM. Cached webpage,
  17. “An Operatic Performance,” Appliance Magazine, June 2007,
  18. Figaro Systems Official Website. Installations,
  19. “Giving the Opera a New Voice,” Entertainment Engineering., Volume 4, Issue 2, p. 6, on entertainmentengineering.com
  20. Todd Hanson, "Los Alamos announces technology commercialization awards," Los Alamos National Laboratory News, Los Alamos National Security, LLC, US Department of Energy's NNSA, May 7, 2001 on lanl.gov/news.