TheItalian wordlibretto (pronounced[liˈbretto],plurallibretti[liˈbretti]) is the diminutive of the wordlibro ("book"). Sometimes other-languageequivalents are used for libretti in that language,livret for French works,Textbuch for German andlibreto for Spanish. A libretto is distinct from a synopsis orscenario of the plot, in that the libretto contains all the words and stage directions, while a synopsis summarizes the plot. Someballet historians also use the wordlibretto to refer to the 15- to 40-page books which were on sale to 19th century ballet audiences in Paris and contained a very detailed description of the ballet's story, scene by scene.[1]
The relationship of thelibrettist (that is, the writer of a libretto) to thecomposer in the creation of a musical work has varied over the centuries, as have the sources and the writing techniques employed.
In the context of a modern English-language musical theatre piece, the libretto is considered to encompass both thebook of the work (i.e., the spoken dialogue) and the sung lyrics.
Libretti for operas,oratorios andcantatas in the 17th and 18th centuries were generally written by someone other than the composer, often a well-known poet.
The libretto is not always written before the music. Some composers, such asMikhail Glinka,Alexander Serov,Rimsky-Korsakov,Puccini andMascagni wrote passages of music without text and subsequently had the librettist add words to the vocal melody lines (this has often been the case with American popular song and musicals in the 20th century, as withRichard Rodgers andLorenz Hart's collaboration, although with the later team ofRodgers and Hammerstein thelyrics were generally written first, which was Rodgers' preferred modus operandi).
Pages from an 1859 libretto forErnani, with the original Italian lyrics, English translation and musical notation for one of the arias
Sometimes the libretto is written in close collaboration with the composer; this can involve adaptation, as was the case withRimsky-Korsakov and his librettistVladimir Belsky, or an entirely original work. In the case of musicals, the music, the lyrics and the "book" (i.e., the spoken dialogue and the stage directions) may each have its own author. Thus, a musical such asFiddler on the Roof has a composer (Jerry Bock), a lyricist (Sheldon Harnick) and the writer of the "book" (Joseph Stein). In rare cases, the composer writes everything except the dance arrangements – music, lyrics and libretto, asLionel Bart did forOliver!.
Other matters in the process of developing a libretto parallel those of spokendramas for stage or screen. There are the preliminary steps of selecting or suggesting a subject and developing a sketch of the action in the form of ascenario, as well as revisions that might come about when the work is in production, as with out-of-town tryouts forBroadway musicals, or changes made for a specific local audience. A famous case of the latter is Wagner's 1861 revision of the original 1845Dresden version of his operaTannhäuser for Paris.
Henry Purcell (1659–1695), whose operas were written to English libretti
As the originating language of opera, Italian dominated that genre in Europe (except in France) well through the 18th century, and even into the next century in Russia, for example, when the Italian opera troupe inSaint Petersburg was challenged by the emerging native Russian repertory. Significant exceptions before 1800 can be found inPurcell's works,Handel's first operas,ballad opera andSingspiel of the 18th century, etc.
Just as with literature and song, the libretto has its share of problems and challenges withtranslation. In the past (and even today), foreign musical stage works with spoken dialogue, especially comedies, were sometimes performed with the sung portions in the original language and the spoken dialogue in the vernacular. The effects of leaving lyrics untranslated depend on the piece. A man like Louis Durdilly[2] would translate the whole libretto, dialogues and airs, into French:Così fan tutte became Ainsi font toutes, ou la Fidélité des femmes, and instead of Ferrando singing "Un' aura amorosa" French-speaking audiences were treated to Fernand singing "Ma belle est fidèle autant qu'elle est belle".[3]
Many musicals, such as the oldBetty Grable –Don Ameche –Carmen Miranda vehicles, are largely unaffected, but this practice is especially misleading in translations of musicals likeShow Boat,The Wizard of Oz,My Fair Lady orCarousel, in which the lyrics to the songs and the spoken text are often or always closely integrated, and the lyrics serve to further the plot.[citation needed] Availability of printed or projected translations today makes singing in the original language more practical, although one cannot discount the desire to hear a sung drama in one's own language.
The Spanish wordslibretista (playwright, script writer or screenwriter) andlibreto (script or screen play), which are used in the Hispanic TV and cinema industry, derived their meanings from the original operatic sense.
Librettists have historically received less prominent credit than the composer. In some 17th-century operas still being performed, the name of the librettist was not even recorded. As the printing of libretti for sale at performances became more common, these records often survive better than music left in manuscript. But even in late 18th century London, reviews rarely mentioned the name of the librettist, asLorenzo Da Ponte lamented in his memoirs.
By the 20th century some librettists became recognised as part of famous collaborations, as withGilbert and Sullivan orRodgers and Hammerstein. Today the composer (past or present) of the musical score to an opera or operetta is usually given top billing for the completed work, and the writer of the lyrics relegated to second place or a mere footnote, a notable exception beingGertrude Stein, who received top billing forFour Saints in Three Acts. Another exception wasAlberto Franchetti's 1906 operaLa figlia di Iorio which was a close rendering of a highly successful play by its librettist,Gabriele D'Annunzio, a celebrated Italian poet, novelist and dramatist of the day. In some cases, the operatic adaptation has become more famous than the literary text on which it was based, as withClaude Debussy'sPelléas et Mélisande after a play byMaurice Maeterlinck.
Libretti have been made available in several formats, some more nearly complete than others. The text – i.e., the spoken dialogue, song lyrics and stage directions, as applicable – is commonly published separately from the music (such a booklet is usually included with sound recordings of most operas). Sometimes (particularly for operas in thepublic domain) this format is supplemented with melodic excerpts ofmusical notation for important numbers.
Printedscores for operas naturally contain the entire libretto, although there can exist significant differences between the score and the separately printed text. More often than not, this involves the extra repetition of words or phrases from the libretto in the actual score. For example, in thearia "Nessun dorma" from Puccini'sTurandot, the final lines in the libretto are "Tramontate, stelle! All'alba, vincerò!" (Fade, you stars! At dawn, I will win!). However, in the score they are sung as "Tramontate, stelle! Tramontate, stelle! All'alba, vincerò! Vincerò! Vincerò!".
Because the modern musical tends to be published in two separate but intersecting formats (i.e., the book and lyrics, with all the words, and the piano-vocal score, with all the musical material, including some spoken cues), both are needed in order to make a thorough reading of an entire show.
^Durdilly (8 November 1848 — 11 October 1929), founder of the Comptoir général de musique française et étrangère (1878) is remembered for the new translation ofDon Giovanni (Opéra-Comique, November 17, 1896, withCharles Gounod) ; a translation ofThe Magic Flute, also with Gounod and revived at the Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles in January 2020 byHervé Niquet (on Youtube) ; a new translation of Verdi'sRigoletto (Victor Hugo disapproved of Edouard Duprez's translation) ; he also translated from the German (Faust,Fidelio,Der Freischütz,Oberon…
Neville, Don (1990).Frontier Research in Opera and Multimedia Preservation: a Project Involving the Documentation and Full Text Retrieval of the Libretti of Pietro Metastasio. London: Faculty of Music, University of Western Ontario. Without ISBN
Portinari, Folco (1981).Pari siamo! Io la lingua, egli ha il pugnale. Storia del melodramma ottocentesco attraverso i suoi libretti. Torino: E.D.T. Edizioni.ISBN88-7063-017-X.
Smith, Patrick J.The Tenth Muse: a Historical Study of the Opera Libretto. First ed. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1970. xxii, 417, xvi p. + [16] p. of b&w ill. Without ISBN or SBN
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