Can I have the libretto of the opera?
POS-soh ah-VEH-reh eel lee-BRET-toh del-LO-peh-rah.
At the box office or in the theatre foyer. Having the libretto (text of the opera) helps you follow the singing. Many opera houses also have supertitles above the stage.
Il libretto is the text of an opera — the words sung by the singers. In Italian opera, the libretto was written by a librettist (often separately from the composer). Verdi worked famously with librettist Francesco Maria Piave.
C'è una traduzione in inglese del libretto?
Is there an English translation of the libretto?
For non-Italian-speaking audience members.
Ci sono i sopratitoli durante lo spettacolo?
Are there supertitles during the show?
Electronic text translations above the stage.
Posso comprare il CD della colonna sonora?
Can I buy the CD of the soundtrack?
In the theatre shop after the performance.
The word 'libretto' means 'little book' in Italian. Famous librettists include Lorenzo Da Ponte (who wrote for Mozart: Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro), Boito (who wrote Verdi's Otello and Falstaff), and Illica and Giacosa (who wrote Puccini's La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly).