libretto

noun li·bret·to \ lə-ˈbre-(ˌ)tō \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of libretto

plural librettos or libretti play \lə-ˈbre-(ˌ)tē\

1 : the text of a work (such as an opera) for the musical theater

2 : the book containing a libretto

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Recent Examples of libretto from the Web

Sung in English, the libretto has been peppered with modern-day bits of social commentary that reflect the spirit of the genre, an observation echoed by the composer’s daughter, Yvonne Kalman, who spoke with me at Sunday’s matinee.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Remembering Henry Butler, a New Orleans giant," 9 July 2018
Borodin adapted the libretto from an East Slavic epic centered on a 12th-century Russian prince and his campaigns against Polovtsian tribes.

— bethany ao, Philly.com, "7 days of things to do in Philadelphia from June 24 to 30," 21 June 2018
It was based on the 1995 movie, but the lyrics and libretto were written by Wong, who also directed.

— karen ho, GQ, "BD Wong Doesn't Want Fame—He Wants Success," 27 June 2018
Anyone else might want to wait until this once no-doubt fascinating libretto by Giacinto Cigognini gets a rewrite (though Haymarket, committed to historical authenticity, would eschew that).

— deanna isaacs, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Opera / Performing Arts Haymarket Opera's L'Orontea is a time machine to the 17th century," 5 June 2018
That led to the intake form as a jumping-off point for the libretto.

— special to the oregonian, OregonLive.com, "Orchestral piece about homelessness asks audience to imagine trying to find shelter," 5 May 2018
The hulking singer's story has more plot twists than an Italian libretto.

— ashley vaughan, CNN, "Former NFL lineman becomes opera's leading man," 1 June 2018
The Wake World, with music and libretto by David Hertzberg and commissioned by Opera Philadelphia for its O17 debut at the Barnes Foundation in September, has won the best new opera award from the Music Critics Association of North America.

— peter dobrin, Philly.com, "Opera Philadelphia and David Hertzberg win 'best new opera' for 017 commission," 9 Apr. 2018
The kids have been working on it in weekly after-school meetings since October, their ideas and stories fueling some impressive creative talent: Empower has a libretto by playwright Ike Holter and a score by composer Damien Sneed.

— deanna isaacs, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Opera / Performing Arts Empower promises to bring the real south side to the Lyric Opera stage for a one-night-only performance.," 30 May 2018

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of libretto

Italian, diminutive of libro book, from Latin libr-, liber

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1742

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

LIBRETTO Defined for English Language Learners

libretto

noun

Definition of libretto for English Language Learners

: the words of an opera or musical

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See words that rhyme with libretto Spanish Central: Translation of libretto Nglish: Translation of libretto for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about libretto

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