Opera Librettos

[isidro]

As one of my many backgrounds is opera and classical music, and since it can be such a difficult field in which to live, I would like to attempt to bring my passion for this art among more civilized human beings - ie: the blessed and distinguished literati.

Is anyone here familiar with opera librettos, have a favorite libretto or aria? We'll leave the music if we must considering that this is a literature forum and stick to the plot dynamics and linguistics.

Yours ever in love and with enamored passion,

Isidro

[Pollopicu]

I have the 100 greatest opera libretto's on my to-read wish list, and recently finished reading a bio on maria callas by Arianna huffington. My favorite opera is "Tosca" (with Callas only). if anyone can tell me who sang a better Tosca than her, I challenge them to show me.

see for yourself (second Act, part 4)
my favorite scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCfv4E__Als&NR=1

I also love "the magic flute", sung only by callas, and Turandot (nessun Dorma) only performed by Pavarotti.

[isidro]

I can't claim that, but if you want to hear me sing you can check out youtube and look up "An Argument for Heavenly Parentage" or "Tortolita Women: Ring Out, Wild Bells." Considering Tennyson wrote the words to the latter, it might be more appropriate.

I was reading a couple of librettos today - you rock my world for owning that book! Magic Flute is awesome but I have to admit I prefer Rossini's Barber of Seville, or if we are keeping with Mozart, Don Giovanni tops my list. WHy The Magic Flute?

[stlukesguild]

A favorite libretto? Well most of them are somewhat weak as pure literature (minus the music) with the obvious exceptions of Wagner's librettos (which most certainly are worthy of serious consideration purely in literary terms) as well as the librettos written by Hugo von Hoffmannsthal for Richard Strauss. The music, however, changes everything. Madame Butterfly was nothing more than a tale based upon a popular pulp novel of the day and pure schmaltz. With Puccini's music... and Maria Callas' singing... it rises to the most marvelous art.

Picking a personal favorite aria would be as difficult to me as choosing a single favorite book or poem. Some of my favorites would include:

Handel's Ombra mai fu from Serse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA5W2jzXyfg

This is one of the most emotional renderings by the inimitable Kathleen Ferrier.

Then there is Contessa perdono from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro
in which the philandering Count kneels before his wife and asks forgiveness... which she grants in the form of the most exquisite music ever written. It nearly brings tears to my eyes every time... like the last 5 minutes of Its a Wonderful Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2yrDWEoCpc

I am deeply enamored of Mozart's operas... which along with his piano concertos are the peak of his oeuvre. The Magic Flute has long been an absolute favorite which I have been able to see in person twice... the last time with the marvelous and perfectly suited stage designs by Maurice Sendak.

Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja and Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen always brings a smile to my face:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82SvgW2pPU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwpAtAgqO_g

Continuing with Mozart I cannot go without his dramatic conclusion to Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, a cenar teco m'invitasti:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK1_v...eature=related

From Wagner... how could I not choose Leibestod from Tristan und Isolde... and with the magnificent Birgit Nilsson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mOA8pZ_I4M

And then there's Donizetti's Una furtiva lagrima:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUI8rpMzsC8

And one of my absolute favorite moments in all opera, who can match Maria Callas version of Con onor muore... the dramatic conclusion from Madame Butterfly? Callas is an absolutely towering figure of opera... raising the status of what many considered mere bon-bons to the highest expressions of human emotion. She raises the hairs on the back of my neck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6dx7LIyLPY

Although its not technically an opera aria I can't help adding Franck's Panis Angelicus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a11YheB2zM

[Pollopicu]

Why the magic flute?!
Have you heard Callas singing it? she doesn't even sound human! When I see other performers and opera singers attempting "The Magic Flute", I feel embarrassed for them. I can try to send you the file if you send me your email.

You have a very lovely voice.

A favorite libretto? Well most of them are somewhat weak as pure literature (minus the music) with the obvious exceptions of Wagner's librettos (which most certainly are worthy of serious consideration purely in literary terms) as well as the librettos written by Hugo von Hoffmannsthal for Richard Strauss. The music, however, changes everything. Madame Butterfly was nothing more than a tale based upon a popular pulp novel of the day and pure schmaltz. With Puccini's music... and Maria Callas' singing... it rises to the most marvelous art.

Picking a personal favorite aria would be as difficult to me as choosing a single favorite book or poem. Some of my favorites would include:

Handel's Ombra mai fu from Serse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA5W2jzXyfg

This is one of the most emotional renderings by the inimitable Kathleen Ferrier.

Then there is Contessa perdono from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro
in which the philandering Count kneels before his wife and asks forgiveness... which she grants in the form of the most exquisite music ever written. It nearly brings tears to my eyes every time... like the last 5 minutes of Its a Wonderful Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2yrDWEoCpc

I am deeply enamored of Mozart's operas... which along with his piano concertos are the peak of his oeuvre. The Magic Flute has long been an absolute favorite which I have been able to see in person twice... the last time with the marvelous and perfectly suited stage designs by Maurice Sendak.

Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja and Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen always brings a smile to my face:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82SvgW2pPU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwpAtAgqO_g

Continuing with Mozart I cannot go without his dramatic conclusion to Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, a cenar teco m'invitasti:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK1_v...eature=related

From Wagner... how could I not choose Leibestod from Tristan und Isolde... and with the magnificent Birgit Nilsson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mOA8pZ_I4M

And then there's Donizetti's Una furtiva lagrima:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUI8rpMzsC8

And one of my absolute favorite moments in all opera, who can match Maria Callas version of Con onor muore... the dramatic conclusion from Madame Butterfly? Callas is an absolutely towering figure of opera... raising the status of what many considered mere bon-bons to the highest expressions of human emotion. She raises the hairs on the back of my neck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6dx7LIyLPY

Although its not technically an opera aria I can't help adding Franck's Panis Angelicus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a11YheB2zM

Hello, new friend

[stlukesguild]

Why The Magic Flute?

There are more than a few who would choose The Magic Flute as the greatest single opera ever. I don't know that I'd go that far... after all it has The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni (as well as Wagner's Ring and Tristan und Isolde) to contend with. Still... it is a fabulous fairy tale with the music perfectly suited to match. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with an opera with more brilliantly beautiful music from start to finish. It's amazing that Mozart could essentially just throw away an exquisite tune like "Das klingelt so herrlich..." the magical melody played on bells that enchants Monostatos and his slaves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRqdOsuqVcI

Most other composers would give up much to have simply written one such tune... but The Magic Flute is laden with them.

[JBI]

Cough, Libretti, cough - anyway, the best ones don't always have the best music, so generally when people study libretti they look at other factors like popularity and source material - anyway, in terms of the genre, and making it work, I would suggest Boris Godunov as perhaps the best one - certainly its source material is almost unrivaled in the Opera world, with the exception of perhaps Wagner and Richard Strauss' work.

[stlukesguild]

Well... I'm sort of surprised you didn't choose Eugene Onegin for the strongest source material... also Pushkin, after all... and perhaps his masterpiece... or Otello or The Damnation of Faust... but then we might note that the difference between the source material and the libretto is not unlike that between the original novel/story and the screenplay in a film. Indeed... I almost see the libretto as quite akin to the screenplay in that it is rarely of any real interest except as a means to an end. An opera is a unique art form that combines literature, drama, music... even visuals (albeit these are often independent of of the composition... although Wagner... and even Philip Glass were quite cognizant and attuned to the visual aspects of the presentation of their works.

[JBI]

Well... I'm sort of surprised you didn't choose Eugene Onegin for the strongest source material... also Pushkin, after all... and perhaps his masterpiece... or Otello or The Damnation of Faust... but then we might note that the difference between the source material and the libretto is not unlike that between the original novel/story and the screenplay in a film. Indeed... I almost see the libretto as quite akin to the screenplay in that it is rarely of any real interest except as a means to an end. An opera is a unique art form that combines literature, drama, music... even visuals (albeit these are often independent of of the composition... although Wagner... and even Philip Glass were quite cognizant and attuned to the visual aspects of the presentation of their works.

I don't think Pushkin's Onegin translated well, in terms of the capability of the text, into drama, whereas Godunov really is dramatic, so works perfectly - the wit of the original is built into the stanza form, which is completely lost - the opera is one of my favorites, don't get me wrong, but the excellence of the novel is lost without the punchy couplets.

[DWolfman]

Am driving an hour and a half today to view a new film
of my favorite opera: Puccini's "La Boheme"
(I know it's done way too often,
but that means more for me to enjoy)
It stars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon.

While the libretto has its plot holes, forced passages,
and suspensions of disbelief, it serves the story line well:
Star crossed lovers, jealousy, rags versus riches,
pursuit of artistic endeavor, enjoyment of life in hard times.
Besides, isn't the primary purpose of an opera libretto
to present a platform for the music?

And, oh the music in this piece!

[JBI]

Am driving an hour and a half today to view a new film
of my favorite opera: Puccini's "La Boheme"
(I know it's done way too often,
but that means more for me to enjoy)
It stars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon.

While the libretto has its plot holes, forced passages,
and suspensions of belief, it serves the story line well:
Star crossed lovers, jealousy, rags versus riches,
pursuit of artistic endeavor, enjoyment of life in hard times.
Besides, isn't the primary purpose of an opera libretto
to present a platform for the music?

And, oh the music in this piece!

One of my all time least favorite played operas (and I don't think Netrebko can really sing Puccini well either). That is the ultimate example of ridiculous libretto - so typically 19th century too, with the whole "virgin whore" motif running through the thing.


In terms of libretti, I will just throw in, that the libretto used for John Adams' Dr. Atomic, an original libretto based more on historical documents and other media, such as John Donne's poetry, than novels, has an excellent libretto - combined with Adams' signature minimalism, it was incredibly dramatic right up until the end - here are some samples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Bd1U2SqaM
Piece taken from the Bhagavad Gita

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBmbtr5Uw7I
Taken from John Donne's Holy Sonnets

You get the idea though - the whole think worked as a patchwork, even throwing in traditional Native American folk songs, and scientific formulas.

[mortalterror]

It's always interesting the ways we differ Stlukes. My favorite Puccini is Che il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rondine and nobody does it better than Leontyne Price. I'm surprised that you didn't pick Un bel di if you were going to go to Madame Butterfly. Or how about O mio babbino caro sung by Maria Callas or Nessun Dorma while were still on Puccini?

I've never been a big Wagner fan, but I love everything by Verdi. The quartet Bella figlia dell'amore from Rigoletto always gets me. And then there's La donna e mobile in the same opera. Then there's the Anvil Chorus and Brindisi Libiam ne' lieti calici.

When it comes to Mozart I'd rather have The Queen of the Night aria and try as I might I can never get Pa-pa-pa-pa out of my head for more than a few days at a time.

As for Handel, I'd sooner have Aria Almirena from his Rinaldo than Ombra mai fu from Serse.

Let's not forget one of my favorites Vesti la giubba sung by Jussi Bjorling. Then there's the ever obvious Flower Duet by Delibes. I know I'm forgetting a lot of good ones too.

Not strictly librettos but Pie Jesu and Con te Partiro are always nice.

JBI, at first I thought that using Donne was ridiculous but the singer really sold it at the end.

Anybody know about Metastasio? He's supposed to be the libretti master.

[stlukesguild]

Anybody know about Metastasio? He's supposed to be the libretti master.

I've read a bit on him. His manner of composition was seemingly suited to the late Baroque fashion for stressing virtuosic singing... vocal fireworks ala such castrati singers as Farinelli... over everything else. His influence waned with the advent of Gluck and his insistence upon classical simplicity and unity and the centrality of the musical drama over the individual virtuoso. Mozart pushed even further in this direction.

[stlukesguild]

DWolfman-Am driving an hour and a half today to view a new film
of my favorite opera: Puccini's "La Boheme"

One of my all time least favorite played operas (and I don't think Netrebko can really sing Puccini well either).

It would seem that not many would agree with you on either account. La Boheme is the second most performed opera in the common repertoire (after Mme. Butterfly) and while initial popularity is no guarantee of merit (one way or the other) it does begin to hold some weight over 100 years after the fact. But we all know that you demand that art of great intellectual rigor (typical of the young... out to impress) over "mere" simplicity and beauty. With time you may discover that Mozart and Puccini have as much to offer as Wagner and Strauss and Adams and Mussorgsky.

As for Netrebko... is she the best singer of Puccini? Perhaps not... although one would be hard-pressed to think of one who could better perform his work and infuse it with the sort of sexuality she can (and let us remember... opera is theater as well as music). Personally I think she is very good and getting better... although perhaps her strongest performances are elsewhere than Puccini... so far. I particularly admire her Russian Album, her recent collection Souvenirs (which is comprised of selections from various operatic traditions (French, Russian, Czech, German, etc...) and especially her performance of Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Elina Garanca.

In terms of libretti, I will just throw in, that the libretto used for John Adams' Dr. Atomic, an original libretto based more on historical documents and other media, such as John Donne's poetry, than novels, has an excellent libretto - combined with Adams' signature minimalism, it was incredibly dramatic right up until the end

I'm not familiar with this opera although I am somewhat with Adams. His Harmonium is a marvelous vocal work drawing upon Donne and Emily Dickinson... and you might also want to look into The Death of Klinghoffer which is based upon the real-life tragedy of the hijacking of the Achille Lauro.

Of course there are any number of contemporary operas of real merit. I'm somewhat fond of several of Philip Glass' works including the seminal Einstein on the Beach as well as Satyagraha and Akhnaten. Perhaps my favorite contemporary composer is Osvaldo Golijov, an Argentinian composer of Jewish heritage who was educated in Israel and the US and combines musical traditions of Latin-America, klezmer, the Middle-East, Spain, and Western classical music into a unique sound that is open to a vast array of styles. His Oceana is built upon a poem of Neruda while Ainadamar deals with the murder of Federico Garcia-Lorca. Pascal Dusapin's Perelà, Uomo di Fumo is a fantastic fable in operatic form worth exploring. Luigi Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero strikes me as quite intriguing (after a single listening) while Daniel Catan, perhaps Latin-America's premier composer has produced two marvelous operas: Rappacini's Daughter, based upon Octavio Paz' interpretation of Hawthorne's tale and Florencia en el Amaozonas, with a libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain who has co-authored work with Paz and Gabriel Garcia-Marrquez for film and theater. His operas bring together elements of lush Romanticism ala Puccini, Strauss, and Wagner, Impressionism (ala Delius and Debussy) and Modernism as well as a rich Latin-American sensuality and magic realism. And then there's the hot man of the hour, Thomas Ades, with his operas The Tempest and Powder Her Face.

[stlukesguild]

It's always interesting the ways we differ Stlukes. My favorite Puccini is Che il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rondine and nobody does it better than Leontyne Price.

I've never explored Leontyne Price much. She doesn't seem to have part of many really great opera recordings. Her recording of Strauss' Four Last Songs is legendary... as is her recital of Verdi and Puccini arias on RCA.

I'm surprised that you didn't pick Un bel di if you were going to go to Madame Butterfly.

Certainly that is the most lovely aria... but it is the climactic scene that I find most brings out Callas' strength as a dramatic and emotional performer.

Or how about O mio babbino caro sung by Maria Callas or Nessun Dorma while were still on Puccini?

Both lovely choices... although Nessun Dorma is almost too obvious, isn't it?

I've never been a big Wagner fan, but I love everything by Verdi.

There's where we are certainly quite at odds. Not that I dislike Verdi. He almost seems to be one of those instances in which I haven't really gotten around to exploring an artist in as much depth as he is worth... especially considering that I quite love Aida and La Traviata (indeed, Aida was my first real-life opera experience).

The quartet Bella figlia dell'amore from Rigoletto always gets me. And then there's La donna e mobile in the same opera. Then there's the Anvil Chorus and Brindisi Libiam ne' lieti calici.

When it comes to Mozart I'd rather have The Queen of the Night aria...

Which is rather over the top... but perhaps ironically?

...and try as I might I can never get Pa-pa-pa-pa out of my head for more than a few days at a time.

Ideed... Pa-pa-pa...

As for Handel, I'd sooner have Aria Almirena from his Rinaldo than Ombra mai fu from Serse.

I must explore Handel's operas in more depth... and luckily they are just now getting the sort of attention they deserve from various performers. I have a few Handel recitals and I believe one entire opera recording... having much more of his later oratorios... which are essentially operas upon Biblical themes minus the acting and plus a greater use of the chorus.

Let's not forget one of my favorites Vesti la giubba sung by Jussi Bjorling. Then there's the ever obvious Flower Duet by Delibes. I know I'm forgetting a lot of good ones too.

Yes... Jussi!

Others I might add would include Salut demeure from Gounod's Faust... admirable performed by Giuseppe di Stefano:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9uRMplmuqA

Friederich Flowtow's M'appari tutt'amor from Martha here performed by the magical Fritz Wunderlich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGuWTAzUfF0

For something frothy and joyful nothing can beat Strauss' Frühlingsstimmen never sung better than by that songbird, Rita Streich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkFWL...m=PL&index=103

For something a bit more obscure there's the Lullaby (Berceuse) from Jocelyn by Benjamin Godard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g818lDRaixg

Another obscure and underrated work is the American Carlisle Floyd's opera Susanna from which comes the lovely aria The Trees on the Mountain...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg03BwAGF3o

A few favorite arias not strictly from opera include the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO78AqC1IE4

and of course Schubert's Ave Maria sung by Barabara Bonney:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQVz6vuNq7s

and I'll end with Humperdick's Abends will ich schlafen gehn... the haunting "Evening Prayer" from Hansel and Gretel... sung by Renee Fleming:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDpK0WAPZbI