A. Ursyn Orchestra / Libretto Writers Alan & Henry
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Libretto Writers – Alan and Henry (move the cursor over their masks) always worked together. They also always worked in close collaboration with the composer. They had totally different believes and styles. Alan liked to look at the bright side of each issue, enjoyed it all and always seemed happy. Henry was Mr. Likable. He was often cynical with his opinions and was perceived as funny, but in a nasty way. This worked perfect for their librettos composing. They could establish some common ground for writing a libretto for an opera, operetta, oratorio, or musical. Their spoken passages and the lyrics to the musical numbers triggered the joy and drama, so expected from the audience. Alan, a romantic, always looked for a happy ending. According to Henry, there were three types of writing: Comedy, when a guy can marry the girl at the end, Drama, when they do not marry at the end, and Tragedy, when one of them dies before they could get married. That was it. Perhaps, Alan’s bitter philosophy was caused by the fact that he felt unsatisfied. The composer of the musical score to an opera or operetta was usually given the lion's share of credit for his work, and the libretto writer was only mentioned in a footnote. It frustrated Alan a lot, as he was always searching for more romantic explanations on why things worked or did not work out. Yet, they could agree on one thing: it was balance that was so effective in their work.