Word: librettist
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...voluptuous respect, in tantalizing deshabille. The little dressing room was filled with starchy gentlemen, shouting amid the gay popping of corks. To one side stood a myopic, corpulent, bearded figure. His squinting eyes turned ceaselessly, his nostrils twitched. He was Emile Zola, novelist. He had persuaded Ludovic Halevy, boulevardier & librettist, to bring him there. The Prince stared at the bosom and hips of his hostess. Emile Zola stared also, fixed her image in his mind. Later he would transfer it into words. That night the Prince escorted the actress from the theatre. But Zola returned to the portfolio of notes...
Quite by chance librettist and musician were brought together to do a curtain-raiser. An astute and sporting manager, D'Oyly Carte, saw the possibilities, launched the inimitable comic operas which have been wide favorites these 50 years?H. M. S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzancc, Patience, lolanthe, The Mikado, Ruddigore. But it was also D'Oyly Carte who charged the famous £140 carpet to The Gondoliers, thereby traditionally starting the passionate if intermittent quarrel between the gifted collaborators. Gilbert objected to the extravagance, and flew into a rage because Sullivan refused to join in the objection...
Lewis Carroll, Bret Harte, and even Tennyson flirted with him for his musical collaboration; but he was faithful to his intention of doing something in the grand manner. The result was an unsuccessful opera, after which Sullivan returned to his Gilbert. The librettist was only too eager for reconciliation, because he too had been making false pretenses to the greater heights of legitimate stage...
...took one old Indian theme here, made an aria from it for Winona, took another there and made a chorus for the warriors. So it went, until the whole, bound neatly enough together, was presented in November, 1926, in Portland, Oregon, to the considerable credit of composer and librettist...
...hers (The Royal Family) started what seemed to be her first great success in the theatre, and Florenz Ziegfeld's musical comedy made from her novel established itself magnificently as the best of its kind in town. She did not write the songs and jokes, but the librettist held closely to her basic story. The floating theatre on the Mississippi made a perfect background; Negro singers helped the melodies. These tunes were by Jerome David Kern, written at his best. Unlimited chorus girls and superbly competent principals (there is no star) added full value...