Does opera have its own specific language? Has libretto always been a single, clearly definable linguistic form? This study approaches the question from two different methodological directions, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses of lexis, syntax and style in selected Italian operatic libretti. By taking a primarily linguistic perspective the study fills a gap left by previous research. Up to now, libretto as a text form has been examined almost exclusively in literary, cultural or musical terms.

Anja Overbeck, Universität Göttingen.