Dictionary

libretto en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /lɪˈbɹɛt.əʊ/ (UK)
• /lɪˈbɹɛt.oʊ/ (US)

Etymology

From Italian libretto, diminutive of libro (“book”), from Latin liber (“book”).

Meanings

1. The text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera.
   • From Mozart's letters we know that the composer decided to enlarge the part of Osmin, the harem keeper, because the originator of the part, Ludwig Fischer, had a freakishly low bass voice that Mozart wanted to exploit. Osmin's principal arias and ensembles were duly lengthened beyond what appeared in the original libretto, and he was given yet another song in the third act. 2002 January 3, Richard Traubner, “Mozart's Singspiel”, in Playbill:
2. A book containing such a text.

Forms

Deriveds

librettistic

Relateds

librettistics · librettist

Translations (56)

mk либре́то (book containing such a text) · hy լիբրետո (book containing such a text) · fr livret (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · pt livreto (book containing such a text) · fa لیبرتو (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · uk лібре́то (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · nl libretto (book containing such a text) · es libreto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · hy լիբրետո (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · it libretto (book containing such a text) · nb libretto (book containing such a text) · fa لیبرتو (book containing such a text) · fr livret (book containing such a text) · pl libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · hu szövegkönyv (book containing such a text) · cmn 歌詞 /歌词 (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · ca llibret (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · hu szövegkönyv (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · io libreto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · ja 台本 (book containing such a text) · pt livreto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · ka ლიბრეტო (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · pl libretto (book containing such a text) · cs libreto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · de Libretto (book containing such a text) · el λιμπρέτο (book containing such a text) · ka ლიბრეტო (book containing such a text) · pt libreto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · de Libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · be лібрэ́та (book containing such a text) · nb libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · be лібрэ́та (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · nl libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · ko 리브레토 (book containing such a text) · bg либре́то (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · ja リブレット (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · el λιμπρέτο (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · fi libretto (book containing such a text) · io libreto (book containing such a text) · ko 대본 (book containing such a text) · it libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · cs libreto (book containing such a text) · cmn 唱本 (book containing such a text) · ru либре́тто (book containing such a text) · cmn 唱詞 /唱词 (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · bg либре́то (book containing such a text) · nn libretto (book containing such a text) · pt libreto (book containing such a text) · uk лібре́то (book containing such a text) · ca llibret (book containing such a text) · ko 리브레토 (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · ru либре́тто (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · hu librettó (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · nn libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera) · ja リブレット (book containing such a text) · fi libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera)