Ruth and Thomas Martin
Remembering the 20th Century's
foremost opera translators
A Life in Opera
This site is dedicated to the librettists and opera translators Ruth and Thomas Martin who, in a career spanning four decades, translated some forty operas into English and introduced generations of music lovers to the glories of opera as it was meant to be seen and heard - as living drama rather than as a museum piece.
The New York Times noted that the Martins' Mozart translations "helped spark the revival of interest in Mozart's operas in this country in the 1940's and 50's." Lifelong proponents of opera as vital, approachable entertainment as well as great art, the Martins worked tirelessly to promote a love of opera among audiences young and old.