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Date: | Fri, 7 May 1999 19:20:21 -0400 |
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A friend is asking about English-language librettos(i) with better
literary/dramaturgical merits. There are certainly the Britten operas
to suggest: Billy Budd, Peter Grimes,...
I guess it's useless to impose limitations on how far
you can go on this list; but preferrably:
1. those that were originally written in English, but can be adaptations
from a foreign language source.
2. those that were specifically intended for an opera production.
3. please note the question asks for literary/dramaturgical merits which
include (certainly not limited to) poetry, structure, characterisation,
action, spectacle(!)... So it doesn't matter how lousy the music sounds!
4. the more recent ones, the better. (Sadly, I find myself extremely
ignorant in American operas. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to
learn something?)
Thanks in advance.
Vachnadze
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