The Art Of Writing Opera Librettos

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III Laws Of Construction Between the joyful discovery of an operatic subject and its definitive adaptation for composition there is a long road to travel, and this road leads, first of all, through the territory of substantial, workmanlike technic, such as all great dramatists from Shakespeare to Richard Wagner have possessed. What we call technic is, in the last analysis, merely the systematic application of those rules which guarantee a certain stage-effect on the audience. Technic therefore can never be gray theory; it is ever the golden fruit of the tree of life. Although it is thus, as to its better part, mostly gained by experience, it must be systematically practised in the outset in certain elementary concepts; otherwise the beginner would employ too much valuable time in learning experimentally from individual cases over which, viewed as members of a system, he would gain the mastery in brief space. Buffon remarked: "Art is mathematics; great effects are produced by simple means well combined." And Maupassant wrote to Vauclaire: "Genius is nothing but enduring patience." Certainly, one cannot get along with technic alone, but without it one will never be anything but a bungler, even when one has a superfluity of "splendid ideas." "Craftsmanship acquired within limitations must always precede all life, all action, all art. To know and practise one thing well is a higher education than half-knowledge of many things," declares Goethe. Great art-works can be created only by the reciprocal action of knowledge and imagination, never by imagination or knowledge alone. And hardly any other branch of art is so dependent on this reciprocal action, as the musical drama. This is the ultimate source of Wagner's tremendous...

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1922 Edition.

The Art of Writing Opera-Librettos: Practical Suggestions by Edgar Istel, first published in 1922, is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation. Restoration Editors' mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it.

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This practical guide offers tips and suggestions for writing opera librettos. Drawing on his own experiences as a librettist, Edward Istel provides insights into the creative process and offers advice on structure, character development, and collaboration with composers. Co-author Theodore Baker is a well-known musicologist and translator, and his contributions to the book provide additional depth and context. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.