| The baroque Italian used for the libretto is complicated and often encumbers the listener, taking away from the melodic tunes of the arias. |
| The libretto contains an essay, a synopsis, and texts in English and transliterated Russian. |
| The compact libretto used less of the flowery, arcane language that once had seemed a requisite of high style. |
| In making his libretto from the biblical text, he has boldly put that figure at the centre of his scheme. |
| First, although it provides an Italian libretto, there are no translations of the sung text. |
| One may lament the absence of a libretto but the CD version will probably be in most collectors' libraries anyway. |
