CTRL+ALT+Recit: Part III Translating Alcina in the Age of Influence - The Nitty Gritty

In this third installment of my ongoing series about AI-assisted adaptation of Handel's Alcina, we dive into one of the project’s most demanding creative phases: translating the libretto into a modern, influencer-inflected poetic script.

This process turned out to be far more complex than I first imagined. It required not only careful linguistic translation, but also tonal calibration, dramaturgical awareness, and a steady eye on our conceptual frame: Alcina’s island re-envisioned as an influencer mansion, where digital illusions replace magic and social clout shapes fate.

What Was Done Beforehand

Previous blog entries describe the extensive background work and planning. For the translations, I created a style guideline through trial and error, refining it as we worked. I then provided this to ChatGPT, and together we began the translation process.

The Process: Iterative, Layered, Collaborative

Each aria went through several distinct phases:

1. Text Confirmation — Confirming the exact Italian text from Flaminio using the scraping tool described in the last post.

2. Literal Translation — Rendering the Italian into a plain, literal English version for meaning only.

3. First Adaptation Pass — ChatGPT created a poetic draft balancing emotional clarity, rhythmic flow, and a contemporary tone.

4. Stylistic Calibration — Reviewing and refining the tone for:

   • Modernity (does it sound like 2025 speech?)

   • Emotional directness (is the feeling clear?)

   • Influencer subtext (could this line echo in an Instagram caption?)

5. Feedback Loop — I frequently requested adjustments such as:

   • Less archaic phrasing

   • Softer or subtler social media allusions

   • More casual, modern speech patterns

   • Sharper emotional layering or restraint

   • 
     

This loop often repeated four to six times per aria. ChatGPT’s biggest challenge was maintaining a consistent style across long stretches of translation.

Patterns and Pitfalls

Several common tensions emerged:

• Over-stylization vs. clarity — Early versions were often too ornate, with old-fashioned constructions that clashed with the influencer setting.

• On-the-nose metaphors — At times, ChatGPT leaned too hard into the concept, producing lines like “don’t let her sit with her old content,” which landed as silly rather than effective.

• Tone mismatches — Some drafts veered toward parody or excessive sentimentality, which undercut the dignity of the moment.

• Character clarity — Distinguishing voices proved crucial:

  • Alcina’s voice leaned poetic and curated

  • Morgana’s was charming and performative

  • Bradamante’s stayed grounded and incisive

  • Ruggiero’s softened and grew more reflective over time

An example: Here is Carys Rees-Baker singing "Yes, I'm Still Her" with Amanda Sabelhaus playng the piano. This is the translation of Alcina's aria "Si son quella".

Case Study: Ma quando tornerai

I think it's easiest if we just look at one specific example. One of the most revealing translation journeys involved the aria Ma quando tornerai, where Alcina confronts the possibility of Ruggiero’s return. This specific process is a good representation of the general steps taken each time.

I asked ChatGPT to scrape the website (the text extraction method I described last post), and it accurately retuned our working Italian:

Ma quando tornerai,
di lacci avvinto il piè,
attendi pur da me
rigore e crudeltà.
E pur, perché t'amai,
ho ancor di te pietà.
Ancor placar mi puoi,
mio ben, cor mio; non vuoi?
Mi lascia, infido, e va'!

ChatGPT also added: "this is “Ma quando tornerai” (Alcina 8), a raw and layered aria full of rage, longing, self-contradiction, and emotional whiplash. It’s one of Alcina’s most psychologically rich moments—perfect for your adaptation style." ChatGPT is very complimentary, as you probably know if you have used it!

Then it made its first past at a translation:

But when you come back, dragging your regrets behind you,don’t expect kindness. I’ll be cold. I’ll make you pay. And still—because I loved you, some part of me still wants to forgive. You could calm this storm, you still could—my love, my heart—but you won’t. So go. Go ahead, coward. Leave me.

Not bad, right! I mean, it's amazing how well ChatGPT did for a first try. This was pretty common for our translations, a solid base to work from. As I often did at this point, I asked ChatGPT what was happening in our adaptation at this moment. As per usual, it responds like an overachiver. This is probably too much information :

ChatGPT: "🎭 Concept Recap: Alcina’s World

• Alcina’s magic = social power, aesthetic control, emotional curation

• Her island = an illusion-driven influencer house, where reality bends to her brand, emotions, and visibility

• Love = attention + emotional submission, and losing it = losing her power

• The fantasy begins to collapse in Act III as Ruggiero breaks away and her control falters

🔥 Scene Context: “Ma quando tornerai”

This aria follows Ruggiero’s rejection—he’s left her illusion, shaken free of the curated fantasy, and is reclaiming himself. For Alcina, it’s the moment where:

• Her influence is no longer working

• She feels discarded—but still watched

• She lashes out with performative anger, but underneath it: the heartbreak of being unseen

• Her internal conflict is fully externalized: "I’ll punish you" → "I still love you" → "Just… leave."

🪞 In Your Version

In your influencer Alcina, this moment could be staged as:

• A breakdown livestream, or an emotional content drop meant to pull Ruggiero (and followers?) back in

• A space where filters glitch, lighting flattens, or the fantasy starts to visually dissolve

• She reaches for one last edit, one last plea, and he’s already gone

• The audience watches emotional power collapse in real time—and she knows it"

From there, I told ChatGPT: "Can you make the language of "still want to forgive" a bit more modern? And did you add Influencer Shimmer?"

*“Influencer Shimmer” became our unusual shorthand in the chats, meaning that ChatGPT should weave in contemporary, direct language drawn from influencer culture. The results were wildly hit or miss. Sometimes it was strikingly effective—like using “the image clicked” to describe a romantic connection. Other times it veered into parody, as with “every sigh is brand-approved.” It came back with:

But when you come back, dragging your regrets behind you, don’t expect kindness. I’ll be cold. I’ll make you pay for walking out. And still—because I loved you, some part of me can’t stop hoping you’ll post something real. You could calm this storm. You still could. My love. My heart. But you won’t. So go. Go ahead. Leave me—like it never meant anything.

I responded: "I like what you did at the end, but I don't love" post something real." What else might we use there?" ChatGPT offered several options:

"🔄 Option 1:

“some part of me / still waits for a sign / that it mattered.”→ Clean, intimate, emotionally honest. “A sign” is open-ended—text, look, post, anything.

🔄 Option 2:

“some part of me / still checks for proof / it wasn’t fake.”→ Leans harder into the curated world. “Proof” hits that influencer-world vibe without naming it directly.

🔄 Option 3:

“some part of me / still watches for you / to say it meant something.”→ Soft, aching, and performative. “Watches” evokes lurking, scrolling, searching."

I preferred option 2, and that was set. We had an adapted aria:

Final Adapted Version:

But when you come back, dragging your regrets behind you, don’t expect kindness.
I’ll be cold. I’ll make you pay for walking out.

And still—because I loved you, 
some part of me still checks for proof it wasn't real.
You could calm this storm. You still could.
My love. My heart. But you won’t.

So go. Go ahead. Leave me—like it never meant anything.

This example showcases what worked: ChatGPT creates content easily and effortlessly. If you don't care for what it does, it will rapidly respond with new iterations. It is able to respond to relatively complicated responses with accurate and tonaly complex answers. This work has led me to believe that working with ChatGPT is a different kind of creativity, more about selection and tone control than raw creation.

Lessons for Libretto Rewrites

Some key takeaways from this phase:

• Consistency of source material is essential

• Embrace the revision loop rather than resist it

• Influencer style works best when it shimmers, not when it shouts

• Each character needs a distinct vernacular register

• Modern doesn’t mean flat — you can still be poetic, layered, and fresh

  
  

Up Next

In Part IV, we’ll turn to the recitatives. Part V will then conclude the series with a look at our revision process during production.

CTRL+ALT+Recit is a blog series documenting the creative journey behind a modern, AI-assisted adaptation of Handel's Alcina, staged by students and faculty at Oakland University.