Abstract: This paper aims at exploring the specificity of the eighteenth-century oratorio libretto, a printed book halfway between a mere concert programme and a literary work. The examination of the paratext of some of the original wordbooks does indeed contain a wealth of information, both on the factual and the interpretative levels. For example, the various prefaces, poems and epigraphs that are part and parcel of the early editions of Handel's oratorio librettos give rise to further consideration on the special relations between words and music, the...
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Topics: 
Literature
Humanities