The Libretto

Course Description

This class looks at the history, theory, and practice of opera’s most overlooked and ridiculed element: the libretto, Italian for “little book.” Following the fortunes of the libretto from its origins to the present, we’ll see how different ideas about librettos influenced the evolution of opera. During our discussions, we’ll entertain theories about what makes a good libretto. For example, the theory that librettos can be like ugly frogs that the “kiss” of music turn into princely operas. Or that the duty of the librettist is to strip their literary source of all that makes it beautiful, so that the composer can fill all of that back in with music. Librettos come from many sources: dramas, novels, poems, historical events, and original ideas. We’ll ask how the libretto’s origins affect how it gets written. At the level of the sung word, we’ll listen to what happens when you translate a libretto from another language and how “singability” influences word choice. Finally, we’ll also apply this knowledge to writing our own librettos.

Code

PY.260.411

Credits

3

Subject

Humanities - Liberal Arts