How to learn an opera role: a step-by-step method from working singers

A role is learned in layers: the score, the text, the notes, the memory, the stage. Three working singers describe the order they use, and a role preparation program describes the stages. This page puts them in sequence. It is part of the roles section.

What learning a role covers

In the process of learning and mastering a role, singers work on musical preparation, phonetic transcription, translation, declamation, characterization, style and staging¹. Oropesa adds historical research, dramatic and character work, and reading the book or play the opera is based on³. Goals include correct and clear diction, paraphrase and word-by-word translation¹.

Lucia Lucas aims her method at students learning to prepare roles and at professionals who are too busy but must learn a role in an allotted time⁴. Especially for role debuts, it is important to get a scope of the amount of work involved immediately⁴.

Step 1: choose and organize the score

Find out which score edition the production will use. Seikaly says to ask the musical director²; Lucas says to ask the company before you buy⁴. For Verdi and Puccini, Lucas recommends a burgundy Ricordi hardback, which often has just Italian and leaves room for notes⁴.

Then organize the score. Seikaly begins with organizing it, because nothing is more frustrating and detrimental to the learning process than having to backtrack². Marking styles differ: some people tab everything, while others tab only the exact moment their character enters². Seikaly highlights only her own character’s name, not the whole line². Oropesa organizes her score with tabs to find her character’s entrances easily³.

Step 2: text, translation and IPA

Proficiency in the operatic languages is the single most beneficial thing you can do to help yourself memorize and interpret any role³. Translating is a concurrent step in the process, not a separate phase⁴. If you do not know the language well, write the IPA into the score early⁴. For the sound rules by language, see the diction section.

Lucas puts it bluntly: if you do not know what you are singing, how can you possibly create theater⁴? Without knowing the text you cannot build the character⁴.

Step 3: rhythm and notes

Different singers have different opinions on how you should learn the notes². Seikaly learns the rhythms and notes after working with the score². She uses Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus as her worked example². The effort pays off: you will thank yourself for it later, because the music comes easily once learned².

Alternate difficult and easy sections. Seikaly compares this to exercise: you would not put in strenuous exercise several days in a row². Oropesa orders the work by form: she tackles recitatives, ensembles and finales first, and saves the arias for last³.

Step 4: recordings and coaching

Singers differ on recordings before notes. Seikaly’s rule is that if you need a concept of the style, you listen to several recordings once through². Once your notes are strong she returns to recordings, and she meets with a coach, preferably one who knows the role or opera².

Oropesa is cautious about using recordings as a crutch. There are often mistakes, cuts and inconsistencies, and you might start to imitate a sound or technique that is not appropriate for you³.

Step 5: memorize, track and stage

One preparation program shows the typical order. After a complete first score reading, and weeks later a session from memory, staging rehearsals follow¹. Its second stage is an in-depth study of the role, with up to two weeks of work: further study of music and text, complete memorization, linguistic aspects and diction¹.

When time is short, Lucas relies on TLM: Translated, Learned, Memorized tabs that act as the to-do list for a role⁴. In repertory (fest) systems, your entire role must be at least at the TL stage before staging⁴. A role you are auditioning with follows the same order; see the audition package guide.

Mistakes to avoid

• Starting without the edition. With the wrong one, your page numbers, cut marks and perhaps even notes and words could be all wrong².
• Treating recordings as the source. Oropesa warns that recordings often contain mistakes, cuts and inconsistencies³.
• Postponing the text. Lucas runs translation alongside every other step⁴, and Opera Atelier lists word-by-word translation among its goals¹.
• Arriving at staging unprepared. In a repertory system the entire role must be at least at the TL stage before staging begins⁴.
• Doing only hard work on consecutive days. Seikaly’s alternation is a way to avoid strain².

A short routine

• Get the edition and organize the score^2,4.
• Translate, and write IPA where the language is not yet yours⁴.
• Learn the recitatives and ensembles before the arias³.
• Alternate hard and easy sections from one day to the next².
• Meet a coach who knows the role².
• Track every page with TLM tabs until the whole role is memorized⁴.

If your Fach decides which roles are offered to you, read the Fach system guide next.