Libretto

The libretto ( Italian for " little book ", diminutive to libro " book", plural: Libretti ) is the text of an opera, an oratorio, operetta, a musical or a cantata; in a broader sense scenarios for ballets and pantomimes are sometimes referred to as librettos. The term appears in the early 18th century, but only in the course of the 19th century really common.

The literary research discipline that deals with the libretto as a literary genre, ie Librettology.

History

The history of the libretto begins with the story of the opera. Since these arose from the attempt out, which (as a unity of word and song imaginary) revive ancient tragedy, it is as much literary as well as musical origin. According to the libretto already in the early days of the genre came to play a key role.

The relationship between music and text, and of composer and librettist has changed repeatedly over time. In France and Italy until the 18th century, the librettist of highly respected artists, quite naturally recognized as a poet. The best known representative of this era is Pietro Metastasio, whose libretti not only by numerous composers - were set to music, but sometimes also came as speech pieces on the theater stage - some more than once. Later, the librettist in the perception of the public and the research usually occur behind the composers. In particular, since the Romantic period there were also composers who wrote their own librettos, such as Richard Wagner (for all plants), Arrigo Boito ( Mefistofele, Nerone ) and Hans Pfitzner ( Palestrina). Such double talents that create a linguistically and dramatically coherent libretto and implement themselves musically, but they are the exception.

A longer-lasting collaboration between librettist and composer, there was, for example, between Lorenzo da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Eugène Scribe and Giacomo Meyerbeer, Arrigo Boito and Giuseppe Verdi. In the first third of the 20th century, Hugo von Hofmannsthal exemplified by his created jointly with Richard Strauss works, how libretti matic activity can be combined with literary sophistication. Important librettist in the period after the Second World War were about Wystan Hugh Auden ( The Rake 's Progress, UA 1951; Music: Igor Stravinsky ), Chester Kallman ( The Visitors, UA 1957; Music: Carlos Chavez ) and Ingeborg Bachmann ( The Young Lord, UA 1965, music by Hans Werner Henze ). Simultaneously the literary opera, the adaptation of works of spoken theater for the operatic stage, an important model; in this area worked librettists such as Claus H. Henneberg ( Lear, UA 1978, after Shakespeare / Eschenburg; Music: Aribert Reimann ) or Thomas Körner ( The walls, UA 1995, to Les paravents by Jean Genet; Music: Adriana Hölszky ).

The fact that the librettist earlier ( eg Mozart's time ) were partially respected as her musical partner, the two names can be read on the theater announcements to shape and size. Later the pendulum swung out to the side of the composer; were in abbreviated formulation and are they up to now often referred to only as the author (eg, " The Magic of Mozart" ). Other examples show, however, that an equal mention of author and musician is possible and can pass into general usage - for example, in the English-speaking world " The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan ," " Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein, "or in German-speaking " Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss and Hofmannsthal ".

Structure and poetics

The dispute, whether in the opera of the text or the music is the more important part, is as old as opera itself Mozart 's famous dictum " bey an opera must absolutely the poetry of Musick be obedient daughter " are contrary to many statements to the contrary. It is certain, however, that a genuine libretto its full only in connection with the setting - unfolds quality - even literary. It must therefore be a part of the music stimulus, on the other hand also provide space - neither the word can take back very still be the main focus.

As sung text to a heavier course than spoken, on the other hand requires more time, the libretto to a characteristic change of ruffles and repetitions. From a literary perspective, it often seems prolix - pleonastic and at the same time the barren and boldly. Comparisons between opera libretti and purely literary treatments of the underlying materials show that the libretto for the benefit of musical feasibility reduced complexity. Multi-layered characters become types, complex decision-making processes to moods, " rants " to " keywords" ( Ferruccio Busoni ). The resulting resultant shortening of the action will benefit the music that is thus given the time required for development. Same time, the unthinkable in the drama time stretching through music - up to the time of arrest in arias or ensembles tableaux - the opportunity to explore moods and emotional states in detail.

The plot in the libretto runs accordingly not linear, but " jumps" from one emotion to the next situation. Backward and forward references, references not visible action, as are common in the drama, has been completely removed in the opera.

This ideal-typical structure shall largely for the opera libretto from the 17th to the 19th century. By Richard Wagner, who covers the text with the help of his leitmotif technique with a dense network of non- linguistic semantic relationships, it is canceled to a large extent. Also for the literature 20th century opera it applies only to a limited extent.