Repertoire Studies (493-0-1)
Topic
Opera Repertoire
Instructors
Roger Golden Pines
Meeting Info
Regenstein Hall of Music MCR: Mon 9:00AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
The aim of the second half of the Opera Repertoire course is to continue to expand the class's awareness of vocal style in significant areas of the repertoire, encompassing composers who were not covered in the first half of the course in Winter Quarter, i.e. Puccini, Strauss, and composers associated with German Romantic, Russian, and Verismo opera. Classic American musical theater works with an operatic influence will also be included. The class sessions will be divided between lecture, discussion, performance, and coaching elements.
Registration Requirements
The majority of registrants are juniors, seniors, and grad students. If the student does not already know repertoire by the composers being covered in the class, that student must be willing to learn two arias assigned by the instructor for in-class coachings (in addition to the aria to be assigned for the final).
Learning Objectives
The student will be expected to be conversant with differences in style that color the operas of all the composers studied in the course, and the vocal requirements needed for a singer to succeed in each of these areas of operatic repertoire.
Teaching Method
The instructional design is lecture/discussion in the first hour, covering one of the above-mentioned areas of repertoire, followed in the second hour by a maximum of in-class coachings, with each singer performing an aria by one of the composers covered in the first hour.
Evaluation Method
1) Attendance; participation in class discussions; 2) preparation and overall performance - including spoken introduction -- of 2-3 arias coached in class; 3) preparation and overall performance - including spoken introduction - of the aria assigned for the final; 3) three written assignments among which will be a comparison/contrast of as many as four interpretations of the same aria or duet. (note: The number of times the student will be coached during the course is subject to class size.)
Class Materials (Required)
The only materials required are PDFs of any aria the student performs in class, which must be submitted to the instructor and the pianist a week ahead of the coaching.
Class Notes
This class gives students an opportunity to develop themselves not only as singers, but as stylistically well-informed listeners. It also introduces them to a great deal of repertoire, while enabling them to develop a much broader frame of reference in opera, especially as regards historically important performances and the "continuum of singing" in general.