Re: Opera -- 2003-2004 Cultural Literacy Class Forum

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Date Posted: 18:05:58 10/10/03 Fri
Author: cult lit alumna
Subject: Re: Opera
In reply to: Mr. Fornale 's message, "Re: Opera" on 14:17:38 10/07/03 Tue

>Richard Wagner liked to write his own
>libretti, and in this case we end up with the old
>chicken-and-egg question. Does Wagner write the
>libretto with the score in mind? Vice versa? Both?

If I might shed some light on the topic, Wagner is quite an amazing (if also bombastic and anti-Semitic) composer. This composer did indeed write his own libretti to accompany his musical score. This placed him in a wonderful position of which he often took advantage. Most people, based upon Wagner�s accounts of and notes on his operatic creations, believe that Wagner followed three steps to create his operas: 1.) Wagner would write the libretto for the opera based upon a novel or myth. 2.) He then created music that he believed amplified the emotions expressed by the words of the characters. 3.) Afterwards, he would remanipulate the text to better compliment the emotions expressed by the music. This method worked well for Wagner, as the music would often conjure up better words to express the emotions. Whatever else one can say about Wagner�s operas (and there is a lot), one must say that Wagner had an ingenuous way of creating his operas.

As for most composers, though, as that was the question, the librettist worked in union with the composer to remanipulate the text while the music was being created; however, the librettist always had a working text prior to ever working with a composer.

Hope this helps and, I apologize for adding my two cents, but I could not resist. This class seems to really enjoy the topics at hand, and that�s wonderful. I do hope that you remain academically curious because this class has a lot to offer to enrich the mind. Good luck!

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