From the start to the finish of an operatic project, librettists adjusted and readjusted their texts around the traditional imperatives of vocal and theatrical types.
However, librettists quickly broadened their palette of dramatic themes.
Living composers and librettists would never gain approval for similar treatment of religious themes, even when the historical subject matter might have justified them.
Whatever the contractual position, until the mid-1830s the impresario was, as a rule, the librettist's employer.
The librettists make much of such oppositions to enliven their work.
She kept a diary of the weeks leading up to thefirstperformance, documenting discussions with the composer, librettist and others involved in the production.
Near the end of the recitative the officers sing a due - a parodistic idea more likely to have come from the composer than the librettist.
But it has a great deal more, including entries on living and deceased composers, librettists, singers, conductors and writers about opera.
