Opera libretti

thumb|Cover of a 1921 libretto for Umberto Giordano|Giordano's [[Andrea Chénier]] A libretto (from the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term libretto is also sometimes used to refer to the story line of a ballet or the texts of major liturgical works, such as the Mass, requiem, or sacred cantata.

libretto by Pietro Metastasio