Opera recordings without the libretto

[Barbirollians]

I hate them.

Some now even seem not to have a synopsis. Like the French RCA copy of Donuzetti’s Lucretia Borgia with Caballe/Kraus and Verrett Conducted by Perlea received today. I assume lots of killing and poisoning but have no idea.

[richardfinegold]

I agree, but considering how endangered the CD is becoming, be happy that you can still buy them and Google the libretto

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have all the Britten operas without libretti, which is annoying, even though they’re in English. Had I splashed out on the full price originals, the libretti would have been included. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

[Petrushka]

I started a similar thread a week or two ago. I want to get to know opera much more and with retirement looming have invested in the Karl Böhm box. Operas also feature in the Jochum and Kubelik boxes. The problem is that none of them contain the libretti. Surely a company like DG can include a CD ROM? I have some libretti from previous CD or LP issues as well as the odd Prom programme but am struggling to source the libretti for some of them.

Google searches produce mixed results. For example, I can find Strauss' Daphne in the original German but not in a side by side English translation. Strauss' Die Schweigsame Frau and Pfitzner's Palestrina have so far eluded me. In some cases, I've had to resort to buying a cheapo version of a CD just to get the libretto but when I tried this with Capriccio (Strauss again) the set came without the booklet!!

Amazon books is of some use but there is surprisingly little out there. What I really need is the original language with side by side English translation. Why is this proving so difficult?

[doversoul1]

So do I (hate them)

As I am often happy enough with listening to or watching operas on youtube, I usually buy opera CDs mainly for the libretto. I've almost had too many disappointments to want to buy CDs now.

[Bryn]

http://www.operafolio.com/list_of_opera_libretti.asp might help.

[doversoul1]

http://www.operafolio.com/list_of_opera_libretti.asp might help.

I have the list but when it comes to obscure early operas, it doesn't help much. Even Monteverdi has only L'Orfeo in English.

Does anyone know if either or both of these has/have libretto with an English translation?
Caccini: La liberazione di Ruggiero dall' isola di Alcina

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8253668--caccini-f-la-liberazione-di-ruggerio-dallisola-di-alcina

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8389733--caccini-la-liberazione-di-ruggiero-dall-isola-di-alcina

[Pulcinella]

I have the list but when it comes to obscure early operas, it doesn't help much. Even Monteverdi has only L'Orfeo in English.

Here's Poppea in English (but not alongside the original, so it might not be ideally what you're looking for):

https://www.opera-arias.com/monteverdi/l'-incoronazione-di-poppea/libretto/english/

PS!
But here it is side by side with the Italian:

https://www.brilliantclassics.com/media/921673/92752-Monteverdi-Poppea_libretto.pdf

[Barbirollians]

No Lucrezia Borgia with English translation.

I think the record companies could easily put them on their websites so you could download them.

[doversoul1]

Here's Poppea in English (but not alongside the original, so it might not be ideally what you're looking for):

https://www.opera-arias.com/monteverdi/l'-incoronazione-di-poppea/libretto/english/

PS!
But here it is side by side with the Italian:
https://www.brilliantclassics.com/me...a_libretto.pdf

Thank you! I resorted to buying a DVD but I much prefer listening to an opera with the libretto.

[Pulcinella]

No Lucrezia Borgia with English translation.

I think the record companies could easily put them on their websites so you could download them.

There is here:

https://archive.org/details/donizettisoperal00doni/page/n7

[Conchis]

Up to a few years ago, DG was allowing you to download libretti from their website (which I did for the two early operas in their Wagner bicentenary box set), while EMI were adding an extra disc with libretti and notes, so you weren't losing anything by not having a booklet. I'm not altogether surprised that this state of affairs has not endured.

I have the Perlea Lucrezia with a libretto, because it was purchased in the early 2000s. A s/h copy should not have been too difficult to find cheaply.

You'll have no problem finding the libretti for Tosca, et al, but if you want to find the libretti for more obscure stuff (Decca's Entartete Musik series, for example) you will have a problem. Decca was also supposed to supply downloadable libretti but when I attempted to access their site (for Ruslan & Lyudmila) I had no joy.

The English National Opera Guides are a good bet, but they are no comprehensive in terms of operas covered.

[Conchis]

Just remembered - to my knowledge, there has only ever been one major recording of Strauss's Intermezzo - the EMI one, conducted by Sawallisch, but it has never contained a libretto in English. Pretty appalling, when you consider this, of all Strauss operas, needs a translation!

[Master Jacques]

Just remembered - to my knowledge, there has only ever been one major recording of Strauss's Intermezzo - the EMI one, conducted by Sawallisch, but it has never contained a libretto in English. Pretty appalling, when you consider this, of all Strauss operas, needs a translation!

Bit of an odd one, this. There were heavy copyright restrictions on the original text, by Strauss himself, which weren't sorted out for a long time. Andrew Porter made an English translation (very good too) which has been used in various productions since the 1980s, but would cost EMI money to distribute.

[Barbirollians]

There is here:
https://archive.org/details/donizett...00doni/page/n7