Drugs in Opera Librettos
Verdi, Gershwin, Wagner and Drugs.
Stephen H. Curry. Pharmaceutical Journal, Volume 275, pp.781 - 783 (2005)
Based on reading of librettos and listening to the music, the author has documented the prevalence of drug references in operas from Wagner to Gilbert and Sullivan. The Shakespeare factor is examined, as many of the examples draw on the stories behind Shakespeare's plays. Also, the fact that many of the examples are "Fantasy Drugs", invoking pharmacological aspirations not yet fulfilled, is examined. This paper is also available on line at the web site of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.