ABSTRACT
When we come to consider the place of the libretto in early nineteenth century Italian opera, it would be as well to consider first our own received opinions as to what we understand by the term. We should then be able to see how much our preconceptions as to what constitutes a good libretto lead us to expect certain virtues not looked for by Bellini and his contemporaries. It is hoped that these considerations will be seen in the light of our understanding of the aesthetic roots of this opera and of its singers, to which some attention has been devoted in the preceding chapters.
