Thanks for your input, Jill.  It seems logical that the lyricist should be the primary access point as it was his/her words that were set to music.  However, the person who writes the "book" is basically the playwright into whose play the songs are inserted.  The fact that Lennart based the book on her own short story is a slight red herring; Arthur Laurents based his "books" for West Side Story (music: Bernstein, lyrics: Sondheim) and Gypsy (music: Styne, lyrics: Sondheim) on other people's works.

I'm hoping that someone else can help clarify the role of the writer of the "book" since a libretto to a musical will include the texts of both the librettist and the lyricist.

Morris

-----Original Message-----
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Shires, Jill
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 1:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] RDA access points for a libretto to a musical

Having, in a prior life, worked in musicals and with people involved with them, I would consider the lyricist (Bob Merrill) to be the librettist. The original story by Isobell Lennart would be a related work. Now as to the "book," I'm not really sure what to do with that, and haven't yet given it enough thought. 

As I understand it, the "book" is a story line, a structure, which a person (often a different person from the others) writes as a basis from which the musical (text and music) can be ... done {created}. In all honesty, I don't presently have an RDA concept for "writer of book." In AACR2 times, I gave this person the relator code "$4 lbt." 

To repeat, my take on the Creator of text would be the librettist. Lennart's story would be a related work.
Jill

Jill Shires, Music Cataloging Librarian
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University of NC at Chapel Hill
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"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." 	>^..^< 
  				 Ellen Perry Berkeley


-----Original Message-----
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Morris S Levy
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 11:48 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PCCLIST] RDA access points for a libretto to a musical

Good morning.  Here's the title of a libretto in our collection (and in 814 other libraries, according to WorldCat):

Funny girl : a new musical / book by Isobel Lennart from an original story by Miss Lennart ; music by Jule Styne ; lyrics by Bob Merrill.

Under AACR2, the main heading is the composer (Styne) with the uniform title "Funny girl. Libretto".  Under RDA, the composer is entered as an additional access point with the relationship designator "Libretto for (work)".  But what about Lennart and Merrill?  Are the book and lyrics considered separate works in addition to the music and therefore all three should have author/title authority records for "Funny girl"?  Should Lennart or Merrill be entered in the 100 field?

Thank you for your help,
Morris

*********************************

Morris S. Levy
Senior Music Cataloger
Northwestern University Music Library
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston, Illinois 60208
Phone: 847-491-3487
Fax: 847-467-7574
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