Tags: libretto

I've loved opera since I was in the sixth grade and our wacko nun brought in a phonograph and some Puccini love duets. I was hooked in about fifteen seconds. I’m sure it is opera that led me to writing plays, which accounts for my fondness for long speeches, duets, trios, and quarters—all spoken, of course. I never found it odd or...

DEBORAH BREVOORT:  Today is a bit of a historical event. It’s the first ever webinar about opera sponsored by the Dramatists Guild, so thank you to the Guild for this. Today’s panel is composed entirely of librettists. To kick off our discussion, let me ask our panelists: why do you write opera? Sandra, what attracts you to the form? SANDRA SEATON:  Maybe I was attracted to the form before I knew I was attracted to it. When I was a little girl, my...

Since the beginnings of opera, playwrights have been drawn to writing libretti—the plays which are entirely set to music, sung by opera singers, and accompanied by symphony orchestras. It makes sense that playwrights would want to test their wings in the rarified venue of the opera house. In fact, writing an opera libretto...

We are going to discuss the musical book, breaking the study down into three parts. We are going to start with a history of the form itself. We are going to talk about some of the technical aspects of writing a book. We are going to examine the nature of collaboration; and then we’ll look at some of the problems the bookwriter faces...