libretto
noun
li·bret·to
| \ lə-ˈbre-(ˌ)tō
\
\
plural librettos
or libretti\ lə-ˈbre-(ˌ)tē
\
\
Definition of libretto
1
: the text of a work (such as an opera) for the musical theater
2
: the book containing a libretto
Examples of libretto in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Only a few operatic libretti repay close attention; the lyrics of the American Songbook, by contrast, dazzle with their audacious rhymes, humor, and fantastical conceits. — Heather Mac Donald, National Review, "The American Songbook," 22 Aug. 2019 Ariadne auf Naxos, with music by Richard Strauss and libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, continues on Wednesday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. wolftrap.org/opera.aspx. — Anne Midgette, Washington Post, "Early-career professionals bring flair to a tough Strauss score," 22 July 2019 Ruders' 'The Thirteenth Child' The Thirteenth Child, with an English libretto by Becky and David Starobin, is based on a somewhat convoluted Grimm Brothers fairy tale, The Twelve Brothers. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, "A fairy-tale world premiere and Janácek's brutal but redemptive 'Jenufa' impress at Santa Fe Opera," 6 Aug. 2019 Puts is also responsible for the libretto, distilled from personal letters between O’Keeffe and Stieglitz. — Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "With Renée Fleming, world premiere of ‘The Brightness of Light’ delights at Tanglewood," 22 July 2019 The poetic libretto by Kasi Lemmons jumps into the story with startling abruptness: The college-age Charles is speeding down a road, a gun at his side, ready to kill someone. — Heidi Waleson, WSJ, "Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Review: Wrenching Drama and Vicious Satire," 25 June 2019 Composers react to a poem or libretto, take those words and turn them into songs or operas. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Mainly Mozart thrills with a rare Mozart cantata and a well-known violinist," 16 June 2019 Co-commissioned by Jazz St. Louis, the opera is based on New York Times columnist Charles Blow’s 2014 memoir of the same name and features a libretto written by film director Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou). — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, "Kool & the Gang, Sheila E., Angelique Kidjo and More Heat Up 2019 Playboy Jazz Festival's Opening Day," 9 June 2019 The plot itself, with a libretto by the composer (a habit that caused more excoriation than praise), remains hard to summarize. — Douglas Murray, National Review, "Michael Tippett’s ‘Timeless Music in Time’," 11 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'libretto.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for libretto
libretto
noun
English Language Learners Definition of libretto
formal
: the words of an opera or musical
See the full definition for libretto in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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