The course develops learners' knowledge of the basic structure of the grammar of Italian opera and its metalanguage, students' pronunciation and phonetic approach to singing. Emphasis is placed on developing students' understanding of operatic language to produce appropriate interpretations. It also introduces students to the history of Italian opera by considering variety of concepts and themes linked to opera.

By completion of this course students will be able to:

1. listen, read and comprehend brief texts in Italian
2. produce written and oral texts requiring a basic knowledge of Italian grammar
3. produce phonologically accurate excerpts of songs and arias, and demonstrate a capacity to read impromptu
4. research and present in-depth commentaries in Italian about composers and operas (themes; music; historical period; artists' most famous performances
5. deliver a seminar presentation

1 Semester-long project (50%) leading to a composition, presentation and/or performance
1 Language of Opera Test including the preparation of an appropriate operatic role (20%)
Voice/pronunciation exercises, including of unseen text (10%)
One cultural quiz (10%)
One seminar presentation to other students for peer review (10%)

Lectures will be delivered in a mixed mode with a combination of face-to-face and online lectures. In addition there will be 13 tutorials and 12 hours of practice (voice with accompaniment) for voice students taught by the School of Music in either intensive or weekly mode.

Prior knowledge of Italian is not required.

D. Noe' and F.A. Boyd, L'italiano con l'opera: Lingua, cultura e conversazione. Yale University Press, 2002.
Other texts will be made available on the Wattle site.