Dave Lampson comments:

>[Wouldn't it be far easier and more expedient (not that we all aren't
>fascinated with the "is too" "is not" nature of the discussion so far)
>to simply list any librettos that aren't crazy? Should be an awfully
>short list.  -Dave]

I liked this respons to my post much better, and I wanted to take this
opportunity to point out some really good librettos:  I would say that
Rickard Wagners texts to Lohengrin, Der Ring, Tristan, Meistersinger and
Parsifal are very high standard, which are wellwritten (including rhymes
and alliteration), and allows many interpretations of their messages.
Although I love the music (check my emailaddress!), I enjoy just reading
the librettos of Wagner too.

I also must point out two librettos specifially, which I find completely
wonderful:  The first is Janacecks Fox (what do you call it in English?),
which is an allegory of the perpetual nature, and a cyclic view of the
world.  The other is Blomdahls "Aniara" with text by the Noble Prize winner
Harry Martinsson.  It tells about a spaceship that get lost from its route,
and is doomed to sail through the vacuum in eternities.  It is an allegory
about the human civilization and its conditions.  I always wished a better
composer than Blomdahl had taken up this intriguing libretto!  Both
librettos are very well thought through, manifold and full power.

Mats Norrman
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