I was wondering if there is a different between the format in screenplay and a libretto as used for opera's. I wrote a children book (2, actually) and I wrote a short opera in the past. I am thinking of turning my children book into a children opera, anyone has suggestions for this? Or maybe better, someone has experience in writing an opera him/her self?
André
Andreas, I don't believe there is anyone on this forum who knows of how Opera is formatted.
I would suggest a more specialised forum for that type of thing.
But wait and see someone might surprise us!
Wasn't libretti formats a mob enforcer in series 4 of the sopranos?
No, Series 3 it was.
Quote: Andreas @ September 7 2008, 4:14 PM BSTI was wondering if there is a different between the format in screenplay and a libretto as used for opera's. I wrote a children book (2, actually) and I wrote a short opera in the past. I am thinking of turning my children book into a children opera, anyone has suggestions for this? Or maybe better, someone has experience in writing an opera him/her self?
André
In England we call the play part of a musical the book, just to make things confusing.
If I were you I would write it like a play not a screenplay.
Quote: Griff @ September 8 2008, 1:31 PM BSTHere's Act One of Madam Butterfly.
You sure that's not just a menu?
I wasn't very hungry so I just plumped for the tiny hand, but you could tell it had been frozen.
Different restaurant mind.
Quote: Marc P @ September 8 2008, 1:29 PM BSTIn England we call the play part of a musical the book, just to make things confusing.
If I were you I would write it like a play not a screenplay.
Some musicals have the music and words in the same book and some separate them, including only the cue lines in the music. These are also known as the Score (music) and the Libretto (words, stage directions.
You could have a look at some examples at your local library.
The light opera and operetta scores that I have, such as those written by Gilbert and Sullivan, tend to be written in the same format as musicals, ie a score and a libretto, with cue lines in the score.
Thanks, I found a libretto example online and use that one in Final Draft. Final draft does have a lot of templates, also a broadway musical one, but no libretti. I wonder now, however if it is so very important in what format I do it, because I am the one who is using the text to write the opera. So no one will complain when it is in the wrong format...
André