‘Prima le parole, e poi la musica.’ First the words then the music, to misquote Salieri, had been opera’s modus operandi until Richard Wagner wrapped his arms around the form and convinced Europe and North America that the composer genius was the arbiter of dramatic truth, much to the detriment of dramaturgy for the next century and a half. But the pendulum seems to be swinging back towards specialism.
As the opera community attempts to expand the voices and perspectives on stages, it amplifies and trains ever more new librettists each year. A recent survey by American Lyric Theater counted more than 40 companies training or developing librettists in North America alone. This number reflects a sea change in both the volume of new operas being created and in opportunities…
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Opera Now (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2024