Houghton Library Blog

Today’s cataloging prize is a libretto of L’amore industrioso, text by Ferdinando Casorri. John M. Ward, the collector who donated this item, was particularly interested in the documentary evidence to be found in librettos.

Composed in honor of the birth of the Infanta Mariana Vitória, this opera was first performed in Lisbon at the Ajuda Palace, on 31 March 1769. The music was composed by João de Sousa Carvalho, and the libretto gives the complete cast in the preliminaries, possibly the only place that this information has been fully preserved.

Additionally indicated is the choreographer, costumer, etc. etc., right down to the machinist (quite an important person in operas of the time) all of whom were often listed in librettos in the 18th century.

But what is not common, and which must have delighted Professor Ward to no end to discover, is the fact that this libretto includes extensive stage directions.

Look down at the bottom of the page. Laid out like citations, these numbered directions cover blocking, gestures, and even in some cases, emotions.

What a fascinating document of this long-forgotten opera: the directions are so numerous that someone could recreate quite a bit of the original performance blocking. You just never know what you’re going to find under the covers of the humble libretto.

[Thanks to Andrea Cawelti, Ward Music Cataloger, for contributing this post.]