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Introduction:
Your class has created an original story from scratch or has
found a copyright-free story (fairy tale, folk tale, legend,
myth, urban legend, etc.) and has rewritten it into a new
story version. Now the class is ready to make it into an
opera libretto! This will take some time (about 2-3 hours
divided into short sessions.) With the story already finished
your task as a teacher is simply to continue as facilitator and ask your students what
different characters say based on the Needs, Emotions, Wants, and Underlying Beliefs
(NEWUB) of the characters. As the class makes consistent choices based on their previous
decisions it enables the libretto creation process to go smoothly.
Objectives:
Students will be able to adapt their story into a libretto that will later be put to music. They
will know and understand the following terminology: recitative, libretto, scene, action, aria,
duet, trio, quartet, and chorus. They will be able to use these words in appropriate context in
discussion and in creation of their libretto. They will also understand the words, minimal
and simple as they apply to the libretto for their opera. They will understand and
demonstrate through their creative efforts how opera librettos are formatted with recitative
(dialogue), songs and parenthetical action descriptions. They will learn the process of editing.
The final libretto will be approximately 3 total pages.
Libretto Recipe:
Students must UNDERSTAND that their story is going to change by creating the actual
words, and action that the characters will sing and act out on stage. Everything is written in
present tense. It is not narrative in style.
There are three types of words that you will need to create for the libretto:
Action:(What the characters DO which the audience watches, and a brief description of the
setting--always written in parenthesis! What is the core word in ACT ion?)
Songs:(Memorable tunes, easily repeated, bringing familiarity to the audience. They
stop the action and reveal emotion or important information, express ideas in the
fewest words possible in poetic form with meter. Songs can be Arias (solos), Duets,
Quartets, and Choruses. They dont need to rhyme but may. What commercial
jingles do you know?)
Recitative
(Recit): Conversations the characters sing. Recit moves the story forward and is a
through line for the plot. (Sing a conversation with me!)
You can use other mediums, such as artwork, for exploring characters. Have each student
draw or paint a specific character. Making consistent choices helps to tell the story and many
times is what adds humor. Knowing and defining character continues through the staging
process as each student will add more detail and create NEWUBs for their character.
Model the libretto format and help the students understand the difference between
song, recitative, and how action is included. Write on the white or black board the
setting and action (a brief description of the scenery and the routine of the
characters) in parenthesis as stated in the first
sentence.
Example: They clean the town because they love it. (What do they love about it?)
We welcome visitors! (What would you say to visitors?)
We have ducks and cows. (How will this fit the rhythm?)
There are boys and girls. (Do you want this to rhyme?)
Now have the class find ways of putting the comments listed into action words by asking the
questions in the parenthesis above, and then ask if there are any words you can repeat for
importance or to help the rhythm? Clap the rhythm as you chant the words together as a
class. Example results below:
Chorus Example:
Chorus: This house is gone.
It's just a mound.
Will ours be next?
It's been blown down.
Other good times for songs are at the climax, major events, as well as for things like:
lullabies, working, or other times when folks naturally sing, and at the end (What happened
and/or a moral). Refer to the story recipe in Writing the Story
: Have a harder
time with solos than the which illustrates places in the 5 sentence structure for songs at
younger students. Try to UNTIL, BUT, and AND found in the outline.
avoid them as they create
the libretto.
Once the song is writtenask, What do the characters say to each other as they
do their normal activity? What do the characters say to each other as they
discover the problem? Then, create a problem song. Focus on SONGS! Connect
each song with brief recitative (the short conversational sentences that move the story
forward). It is not necessary for recitative to rhyme. In fact, avoid rhyming except in songs.
Your class should create approximately two songs and about 4-5 lines of recit for each
sentence; a good ratio.
It is a good idea to repeat the lines back to the students as they create them in a dramatic
manner (to model good acting) or by singing (which reminds them that the opera will be
sung). You are also repeating as a way to confirm that you have recorded it accurately. Try to
have the class reveal a bit of each character whenever they speak (sing).
Pig #3: It's okay, Ma. We'll come and visit you
often. Wont we guys?
Since you are showing and doing rather than telling take descriptive
action and put it into parentheses to make it a stage direction. You may
choose, occasionally, to have the characters comment on what they are
doing and how they feel about it. If you have trouble with this, as an
exercise, try turning your story into pure pantomime (acting without
words). Then your class can see just how much can be SHOWN instead
of talked (sung) about. If the story cannot be communicated in
pantomime, it may be too reliant on the words.
In the example below, note how the audience really doesn't need Pig #1 to say anything at all.
They could simply watch him as he builds his house and play his computer game in
pantomime. But note how the lines add depth and a sense of fun to the character. The
information in parentheses is not sung, but is necessary for the performers to realize what
they will be doing.
Action Example:
From the ORIGINAL (five sentence) story: The first little pig built his house. He set up his
computer and started playing his favorite game, Barn Raider.
CHANGED to Libretto:
(The first little pig builds his house by throwing a few pieces of straw. The
Chorus then builds the house by revealing the scenery)
Pig #1: Wow. This is hard work. (Grunts)
I'm glad I'm building my house out of straw.
I'll have more time to play my computer! (He sets up his computer)
Great! It's plugged in!
I love playing Barn Raider, my favorite game!
(He takes the game control and starts to play the game)
Creating the Libretto 42
Avoid Narration:
Notice how we do not have any narration in our script so far.
Narration is good to AVOID whenever possible. Instead, we are
focusing on doing and showing. Narration focuses on telling. If you
must use narration, try to use
it in the context of action. The following example shows how the same
information is being given, but in the context of characters expressing their
fears, so we are SHOWING the characters feelings. We also reveal
information, but it is disguised as revealing their emotions.
Narrative Example:
Chorus: The Wolf came into town.
He was mean and hungry!
Action Example:
Chorus: Look out! The Wolf! He's coming!
He's mean and hungry.
He'll eat us up if we don't hide.
Overlaps or gaps in the action are sure to occur. Synthesizing or multi voting are two
ways of dealing with the overlap and oversight. The libretto can be created as a whole class,
but working in very short time periods over a number of days works best with this approach.
Repetition Example:
Wolf: Oooow! My, my, my. I'm hungry. I want a pig!
Chorus: He's hungry. He's hungry. He wants a pig!
Formatting: You will ultimately need a neatly printed copy of the libretto for the music
specialist. See the example libretto for formatting. Adjust your script as necessary, and you
are ready for the Music Specialist!
Perhaps you have a way to approach this process that is unique and valuable to your class.
Great! Keep in mind, that the general process shown in the steps above will always be similar
regardless of the method. And above all, keep this the students work, not yours; that is
very important!
On the following pages is a formatting guide that demonstrates the role of song, action, and
recitative. Refer to it as you create your libretto. Note it shows optional places for songs and
to show how recit needs to be minimal and is not to be used in any way except for reference.
(Describe the setting and the routine action the characters are involved with as the curtain
opens)
(Characters)___: But only a few lines to move the plot forward to the UNTIL discovery
of the situation or character that causes the problem.
ALL:
Create a PROBLEM/CONFLICT SONG
Written in poetry form
Keep it simple, keep it short
Shows we were fine UNTIL
Puts the Problem into focus!
(Sentence #2)
(Other character/s)___: Short simple sentences creating an idea to FIX the problem.
(Character/s)___: But only a few sentences to move the plot forward to a First Attempt to
fix the problem.
ALL: Characters involved with the FIRST ATTEMPT sing about it!
ALL:
Create a FIRST ATTEMPT SONG
Written in poetry form
Keep it simple, keep it short
Brings the Attempted fix for the problem into focus!
45 Creating the Libretto
(Character/s)___: But it does not work so those involved react with a few lines of recit
about the failed attempt.
or a REACTION SONG
Written in poetry form
Keep it simple, keep it short
A little SONG About But it did not work.
(Sentence #3)
(Character/s)___: Have a short conversation about the problem.
(Other character/s)___: Short simple sentences creating an idea to FIX the problem.
(Character/s)___: But it only takes a few sentences to move the plot forward to a Second
Attempt to fix the problem.
ALL: Characters involved with the SECOND ATTEMPT sing about it!
(Character/s)___: But it does not work and those involved respond in a few sentences of
recit
(Sentence #4)
(Characters)___: Have a short conversation reacting to the problem.
(Other character/s)___: Short simple sentences creating an idea to FIX the problem.
(Character/s)___: But only a few sentences move the plot forward to a Third Attempt to
fix the problem.
ALL: Characters involved with the THIRD ATTEMPT sing about it!
ALL:
Create a THIRD ATTEMPT SONG
Written in poetry form
Keep it simple, keep it short
AND Brings the Attempt to fix the problem to a RESOLUTION!
ALL CHARACTERS LEARN FROM the Events of the opera and can sing a few lines
of reaction recitative and DEFINITELY a:
Now your class has completed the first draft of the libretto,
congratulations! You have covered your bones with the muscle
and skin! This will naturally expand with repeats and other
elements as music is createdgetting fully dressed. Three pages
of libretto are perfect (UFO-YPa bit longer). You may want to
consider this as you have an editing session when everyone is
refreshed and ready to take another look at their work. Dont let
too much time pass; a day or two later they will be ready to
continue creating a masterpiece! There is the possibility of 9-10 places for songs. You may
have as few as five and as many as ten. Whatever the number, it is important to have more
songs than recitative!
It is good at this point not only to read through the libretto, but also to act it out. This helps to
clarify anything that may be missing or is redundant. Opera is a LIVE art. In the end it will
be performed. Unless you act it out now you may not catch problems until it is too late to
doing something about them. However, you can add a spoken line if you need it after the
music has been created and your class is into the staging process when they identify a need
for it. Once your class is completely satisfied with the content and flow of the libretto they
are ready to create the melodies! Remember, that during the music process the libretto will
change as the musical elements are added. You need to keep an accurate record of those
changes for your music specialist.
Characters:
Pioneer 1 Chief Whitehorse
Pioneer 2 American Indians
Pioneer Prankster Boy 2 Warriors
Pioneers Karate Cows:-
Sour, Strawberry, and Chocolate
(At rise: pioneers are busy doing their daily chores around town and in a
stable milking the cows)
Straw: Lets keep them so busy they wont have time to milk us.
Choc: Lets steal the Indians horses and make them think the pioneers did it.
(Pantomime traveling to steal the livestock, and they step on a prickly pear.)
(The American Indians are doing their daily chores in their camp and settle down for
the night.)
{Ask them how they do it- that will become the songrepeat with
chorus}
{Use the format of the crying song to make a riding song- the audience will
be signaled of the tall tale element}
Pioneer 2- They traveled the trail 89 times trying to catch each other.
We like to call it Highway 89.
{Create a shooting song which uses the same format of the crying song
and the riding song}
Pioneer 1: And they shot at each other but missed and hit the rocks;
Which is now Arches National Park.
*Your first year in the OBC program you receive a drama mentor who will
assist you as you facilitate your class creating the story and libretto. She will
model the process and assign you and your class homework in finishing each
step. This is a sample of the type of feed back you will receive after you have
completed your homework!
You will see in the Sample Opera Score that the students took some of the
suggestions and not others. They are the ones making all the decisions;
however, you should give them options and be a facilitator in their decision
process.
You can see how the libretto expands on details and relies on the NEWUBs of
the main characters and groups.
You can email or call the Opera by Children Staff anytime for editing and
expansion suggestions if you do not have a drama mentor!