WHAT IS THE SECRET OF SUCCESSFUL LIBRETTO?
That is an interesting and oft-discussed qii-estio.i which has been raised again in. connection with the Ricordi opera competitior.. It :s: s a question (observes London Truth) very hard to answer, of course, but attention mayjie. called -lo a rather interesting attempt in this direction made some 10 years ago by Mr Barclay Squire. Mr Squire's theory was that during recent years, at all events, those operas which, had achieved most success had nearly all been base"d on libretti possessed of stronglymarked national characteristics and local colour. Referring to the operas most in demand in German opera houics, as indicated by the stat'stics of a s'ngle year, Mr Squire observed : — "It is noteworthy that tha list consists almost entirely of otoeras wTiich are marked by strong national characteristics. Can anything be more German than 'Hansel and Gretel,' Lortzing's 'Undine' and 'Waffensehmied,' Nessler's -Trompeter,' Wagner's 'Tannhaus&r' and 'Meistersinger,' and Weber's 'Freischutz' ? National characters of Italy are the- ba.=>is of Auber's 'Masa.niello' and Leoncavallo's and Mascagni'g operas; French militarism inspired Donizetti's 'Fille dti Regiment' ; Bohemian, village life Smetana's 'Verfcaufte Braut 5 ;^ Bizet's 'Carmen' lives through its Spanish' locaJ colour ; and even Flotow's 'Martha.' and Nicola"s 'Merry Wives' owe something to the fact that the scene of each work Is laid in England. "For opera in the highest senso of the word," vas the conclusion com© to "Warner 's sufficient ; his masio dramas have practically made a clean sweep of the works which used to bo the mainstay of the lyric stage 30 years ago. After him the only chance of success h'es in libretti constructed on avowedly national lines giving the composer an opportunity of any amotint of local colour and the plentiful u&e of folk songs." Mr Slquire's theory may or may not h& a. sound one, but it is at anyratß interest iaffl.
WHAT IS THE SECRET OF SUCCESSFUL LIBRETTO?
Otago Witness, Issue 2675, 21 June 1905, Page 84
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