# Understanding the Composer and Libretto



## Cypress (Dec 19, 2014)

I am new to Opera and have a basic question on the operatic work in general.

I understand that their is the composer and the libretto. The libretto is the story or little book. Here is my confusion. The composer takes the words and creates the musical overture and all composition.

Does the composer take the aria, duet, etc... does he create the entire musical presentation of the libretto? He or she, actually composed the entire out of the sometimes, short passage of words?

Sorry, but I am learning and confused about if the composer and libretto are collaborative before, during and after the opera is written and performed.

I understand Wagner sometimes wrote his own libretto.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Wagner always wrote his own libretti. 

I believe there is normally some back and forth between the composer and the librettist before opening night. I seem to recall Da Ponte complaining about one of his composers being particularly demanding in terms of revisions. Wolfgang somebody.


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

Cypress said:


> I understand that their is the composer and the libretto.


forget librettos and other stuff, go by composers alone.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Generally, the composer adapts the libretto to fit the opera, though they may also work very closely with the librettist in which case the librettist will adapt it instead. As you said, some composers such as Wagner wrote their own libretti.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

sharik said:


> forget librettos and other stuff, go by composers alone.


In some cases libretti are less important. In some cases they are absolutely central to the experience - for example Dialogues des carmélites .


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Also a very interesting explanation of the interplay between libretto and musical composition in 19C Italy can be found in this great book:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

The important thing to remember is that the principal medium of expression in opera is music, and that a good libretto is above all one that provides the composer with the opportunity to create a satisfying score. Of course the action should be clear and the dialogue reasonably literate, but a good libretto isn't literature as such and isn't the same as a good non-musical play. Verdi was always fighting with his librettists to shape the libretto to his musical ends. Wagner solved the problem by writing his own with music in mind. Strauss was in constant communication with his chief librettist, von Hofmannsthal. Debussy, on the other hand, chose (I believe) to set the play _Pelleas et Melisande_ exactly as Maeterlink wrote it. In most styles of music that would not be a successful strategy.


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