Libretto

Posted by Paul F. Lenzi on October 5, 2014

Posted in: Free Verse, POETRY. Tagged: Caruso, Librettists, Music, Opera, Pavarotti, Poets, Puccini, Sutherland, Verdi, Writing. 37 Comments

Luigi Illica
Librettist for Puccini

Francesco Maria Piave
Librettist for Verdi

our intimacies
are reserved for
Puccini and Verdi
indelible orchestral
bones feel grand
passions of opera
crescendos that
tingle the spine
played with audible
fingers we recognize
time and again

but what do we know
of the poets who
paint upon notes
bringing scores
to their stories
with words speaking
triumphs and tragedies
giving emotional
substance to voices
we celebrate even
the more than the
greatest composers

pray tell what
did Caruso Luciano
or Sutherland sing
but for poetry laid
in the candlelit ink
of obscurity verses
transposing the
suffering human
condition to song
lyrics lifted from life
born in garrets
on writing desks
flowing from quills
of anonymous minds

37 comments on “Libretto”

truantone on October 5, 2014 at 3:28 pm said:

Reblogged this on Gemini's Lament and commented:
Great poem.

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 9:11 am said:
  
  thank you for sharing my poem with your readers
  
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  - truantone on October 6, 2014 at 2:32 pm said:
    
    No problem. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
    
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Peter Notehelfer on October 5, 2014 at 3:43 pm said:

It is in the performance that grace and glory are revealed: we go first to hear a Sutherland, next to listen to a Verdi, and only at last to consider a Piave . . . Like the lieder Schubert traded with the butcher for a sandwich . . . first the meat, then the cheese, and finally the bread . . .

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 9:10 am said:
  
  perfectly stated
  
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Tracy Meyerhofer on October 5, 2014 at 4:03 pm said:

I’ve always felt the strong relationship to music and poetry. Loved it. Spot on!

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 9:06 am said:
  
  thanks kindly, Tracy
  
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Richard Ankers on October 5, 2014 at 4:15 pm said:

Wow! That was great and a bit freaky as I’d just finished writing about Maria Callas. Were you working my mind, Paul?

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 9:05 am said:
  
  our muses must have shared a drink – Callas was a powerhouse performer
  
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mikesteeden on October 5, 2014 at 4:16 pm said:

A fine reflection on times before ‘pop’ opera so called stars flooded the media and tainted perfection.

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 9:04 am said:
  
  at least I have the vinyls
  
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richibi on October 5, 2014 at 6:09 pm said:

love “poets who / paint upon notes” – cheers, Richard

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 8:59 am said:
  
  thanks kindly
  
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thankfulgirl20 on October 5, 2014 at 8:42 pm said:

Sensational! Great job! 🙂

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 8:58 am said:
  
  thank you very much
  
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Ponder on October 5, 2014 at 9:10 pm said:

I love Every Word. And I’ll probably get banned from comments, but I lost my virginity to opera (playing in the background)–don’t know what possessed me to tell you that tidbit….!

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 8:58 am said:
  
  oh oh – no comment
  
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writersdream9 on October 6, 2014 at 3:15 am said:

Poetry and music are so united and they feed off of each other!

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 6, 2014 at 8:53 am said:
  
  I love that observation
  
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DandegoBlue on October 6, 2014 at 1:33 pm said:

Well stated. Music, poetry and life as we see it. The performance often overshadows the creation and development of the story, but other artists can see and feel the deeper passion witnessed if they watch the composer/poet from the sidelines and/or have been in their shoes. Beautiful piece!

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 7, 2014 at 12:47 pm said:
  
  greatly appreciate your thoughtful comments
  
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Ron DuBour on October 6, 2014 at 2:56 pm said:

Reblogged this on OUR POETRY CORNER.

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 7, 2014 at 12:39 pm said:
  
  thank you for sharing my poem with your readers
  
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AprilEsutton on October 7, 2014 at 12:04 pm said:

My Dad loved the music you referred to, and he would have loved this. Thank you for causing me to think of him today.

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- Paul F. Lenzi on October 7, 2014 at 12:13 pm said:
  
  I’m touched by your comment, April
  
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Paul F. Lenzi on May 30, 2015 at 2:10 pm said:

Reblogged this on Poesy plus Polemics.

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loricarlson66 on May 30, 2015 at 3:14 pm said:

I think there is a symbiotic link between music and poetry… can one truly exist without the other? I’m inclined to think not. This is a beautiful piece of poesy Paul… your words always delight me! Now I want to listen to some Opera! Cheers!

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- Paul F. Lenzi on May 31, 2015 at 9:32 am said:
  
  you are thoughtful and kind
  
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  - loricarlson66 on May 31, 2015 at 9:50 am said:
    
    *smiles* thanks Paul
    
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songtothesirens on May 30, 2015 at 4:26 pm said:

For some reason I have never been a huge fan of any opera except La Boheme. However, in my mind, music is poetry and poetry is music. Your words, even though they are regarding the silent poets behind the scenes, still ring true to my heart. I have a deep love of Baroque music in particular, and Classical music, in general, and when I hear Mozart, for example, my spirit may weep at the sorrow expressed in his notes, or soar as a clarinet takes the melody over from an oboe in a bridge built of notes. Lose one note and the bridge falls, add one note, and perfection is destroyed.

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- Paul F. Lenzi on May 31, 2015 at 9:17 am said:
  
  I also appreciate the connection – and La Boheme happens to be my favorite
  
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  - songtothesirens on May 31, 2015 at 5:54 pm said:
    
    I have listened to the operas of Mozart and Bach, and even though these are two of my favorite composers, their operas never really got me going. La Boheme is a tragic love story as so many are and I love the music and the words just seem organic when paired with it. The whole thing is like a living, breathing being. It is lovely…
    
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DELL CLOVER on May 30, 2015 at 9:21 pm said:

What do we know? We know “in part”, and sometimes we surmise, imagine a lot.

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- Paul F. Lenzi on May 31, 2015 at 8:47 am said:
  
  wonderfully said
  
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  - DELL CLOVER on May 31, 2015 at 9:48 am said:
    
    Thank you.
    
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scottishmomus on May 31, 2015 at 8:35 pm said:

From the music rises spirit,
From the words the heart,
Performance bringing trinity

Perhaps it matters less who receives the credit as long as there is movement in the whole. Although, if I were the poet and the composer was getting all the kudos I’d probably be miffed!

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- Paul F. Lenzi on June 1, 2015 at 10:35 am said:
  
  I hope they were, at least, well paid
  
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