Librettists

Librettists are writers who compose the libretto, the text used in operas, operettas, and many musical theater works. The libretto includes dialogue, spoken scenes, and the overall dramatic framework that singers set to music. In some cases the librettist also provides the song lyrics, but in many productions the words of songs are written by a separate lyricist, with the librettist handling dialogue and stage directions.

The craft requires concise storytelling, dramatic pacing, and an understanding of how words interact with music. A librettist must shape characters, motives, and plot into a form that can be sung and heard in performance, while coordinating with the composer on musical form and scene structure. The relationship between text and music is central to the work’s coherence and emotional impact.

Historically, the term comes from Italian libretto, meaning little book. In the 17th and 18th centuries, opera seria relied on prominent librettists such as Pietro Metastasio, who supplied many standard plots. In the Classical and Romantic periods, notable figures include Lorenzo Da Ponte, who wrote libretti for Mozart’s operas, and Arrigo Boito, who penned Otello and Falstaff for Verdi. In Italian lyric theatre, Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa provided the texts for Puccini’s major works such as La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. In English-language theater, librettists such as William S. Gilbert (with Arthur Sullivan) and Oscar Hammerstein II defined the modern book for musical theater; Stephen Sondheim later wrote both book and lyrics for several shows.

Today, librettists continue to shape opera, musical theater, and other staged forms, balancing literary craft with musical consideration to create unified dramatic experiences.