Lyric diction · Opera guides · Libretti · Role preparation
Sing the words the way the librettist heard them.
Vowel by vowel, language by language: IPA tables, opera guides and the traps singers fall into, each page checked against its sources.
Opera guides
All 28 operasAida
Verdi's Aida: librettist, Cairo premiere, premiere cast and voice types, synopsis by act, the famous arias with first lines, and diction notes for singers.
Opera guideCarmen
Bizet's Carmen in one page: librettists, premiere, voice types, synopsis by act, the Habanera, Seguidilla and Toreador Song, editions, French diction.
Opera guideCavalleria rusticana
Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana in one page: what the title means, premiere, voice types, the Easter plot, Intermezzo, numbers and Italian diction notes.
Opera guideCosì fan tutte
Mozart and Da Ponte's Così fan tutte: premiere cast, voice types, synopsis by act, the famous arias with first lines and Italian diction notes.
Opera guideDer Rosenkavalier
Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier in one page: librettist, premiere, voice types, the silver rose plot act by act, key musical numbers and German diction notes.
Opera guideDon Giovanni
Mozart and Da Ponte's Don Giovanni: premiere cast, voice types, synopsis by act, the famous arias with first lines, the Vienna version, diction notes.
Opera guideEugene Onegin
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in one page: premiere, voice types, the three acts, famous arias with first lines in Russian and notes for singers.
Opera guideFaust
Gounod's Faust: premiere cast, voice types, synopsis by act, the Jewel Song, Golden Calf and other famous numbers with first lines, and French diction notes.
Opera guideFidelio
Beethoven's only opera in one page: its three versions, librettists, voice types, the prison story, the main numbers and German diction notes.
Opera guideHänsel und Gretel
Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel: premiere cast, voice types, synopsis, the Abendsegen and other famous numbers with first lines, and German diction notes.
Opera guideIl barbiere di Siviglia
Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) in one page: Sterbini's libretto, 1816 premiere, voice types, famous arias and Italian diction.
Opera guideIl trovatore
Verdi's Il trovatore in one page: librettists, premiere, voice types, act-by-act highlights, the famous arias and Italian diction notes.
IPA, libretti and role preparation
IPA for singers: what the International Phonetic Alphabet is and how to use it
The International Phonetic Alphabet for singers: why one symbol equals one sound, the marks that matter, singers' charts and where to find IPA texts.
Lyric dictionHow to transcribe an aria into IPA: a step-by-step method for singers
Transcribe an aria into IPA: choose broad or narrow notation, use brackets, start from a ready-made IPA library and check the result by ear.
Lyric dictionWhat an opera diction coach does: lessons, preparation and how to use one
What an opera diction coach does: the training they bring, what a session covers, who needs one and how a diction coach differs from a voice teacher.
LibrettiHow to read an opera libretto: layout, cast list, stage directions and translation
How to read an opera libretto: what it contains, how a 1816 libretto is laid out, how it differs from a synopsis, and where to find a text with translation.
LibrettiPublic-domain opera libretti: where to find free texts and what copyright allows
Where to find free public-domain opera libretti: Wikisource, IMSLP, librettidopera.it and Library of Congress scans, and what copyright still limits.
LibrettiNico Castel: Met diction coach, tenor and creator of the IPA libretti series
Nico Castel (1931-2015) was a Met comprimario tenor, staff diction coach for three decades and the translator behind the IPA libretti series.
LibrettiSinging translation vs literal translation: what opera singers need to know
The difference between a literal translation you study and a singing translation you perform: purpose, trade-offs, surtitles and word-by-word texts.
Role preparationHow to learn an opera role: a step-by-step method from working singers
A practical order for learning an opera role: edition, text and IPA, rhythms and notes, recordings, coaching, memorization and staging.
Role preparationOpera audition package: how many arias, which languages, what to prepare
Build an opera audition package: how many arias to carry, which languages, how to contrast the list, and what UCLA and UNCSA require of applicants.
Role preparationOpera young artist programs compared: Merola, Santa Fe, Glimmerglass and more
Compare opera young artist programs: Merola, Santa Fe, Houston YAVA, Chautauqua, Glimmerglass and Jette Parker, with dates, eligibility and stipend.
Role preparationThe Fach system: voice types for opera singers explained
What Fach means, how opera houses use it to cast roles, the main soprano and mezzo categories, and how to use the system without being limited by it.
How these pages are made
Every number, date, rule and attribution on Diction Desk carries a numbered note that links to the page it came from: university diction courses, phonetics references, opera company synopses, public-domain libretto editions and the press. Translations of libretto lines are our own. Read the editorial policy.