What is a libretto?
Q: What is a libretto?
A: A libretto is the text (the words) which are set to music to make an opera, oratorio, cantata, mass or musical.
Q: Who writes a libretto?
A: The person who writes the libretto is called a librettist.
Q: What does "libretto" mean?
A: Libretto (plural “libretti” or “librettos”) is an Italian word which means “little book”.
Q: Does the composer usually write his own libretti?
A: No, usually a composer likes to have a librettist who can write the words for him so that he can set them to music.
Q: Are some famous 18th century composers known for writing their own libreti?
A: Yes, Metastasio was a very famous 18th century libettist and Lorenzo da Ponte wrote the lyrics for three of Mozart's greatest operas as well as many other composers.
Q: Who wrote many opera and operettea lyrics in 19th century France?
A: Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy wrote many opera and operettea lyrics for Jacques Offenbach, Jules Massenet and Georges Bizet in 19th century France.
Q: Is it common for composers to write some of the music first then look for words to go with it?
A: Yes, sometimes composers will write some of the music first then look for words to go with it; this has been done by Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Serov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Puccini and Mascagni among others.
