History:Style/Specific types of releases/Opera

Style Guideline > ClassicalStyleGuide > Opera Tracks

• This StyleGuideline is not official yet, but consensus has been reached and it will be made official in the next weeks in a Beta Period. -- DonRedman 18:34, 27 March 2007 (UTC) This StyleGuideline applies to classical music only. For popular music see the ReleaseArtistStyle.

This StyleGuideline describes how Opera Tracks should be formatted:

opera_name[, catalogue ###]: Act XX[, Scene XX]. [performance_type] "name_of_the_song" [(character1, character2, ...)]

All the parts in brackets are optional, but if they are mentioned on the printed cover, they should be included. The catalogue number is traditionally not included (but the ClassicalTrackTitleStyle will allow for it). The performance_type can be: Aria, Duettino, Recitativo... The name_of_the_song is usually the first words of the part; the number of words used can vary from one release to another.

Simple Examples

Full details including catalogue number, performance type, and character names:

• Don Giovanni, Op. 500: Act I, Scene III. Duettino "Là ci darem la mano" (Don Giovanni, Zerlina)

Somewhere in the middle:

• Don Giovanni, Op. 500: Act I, Scene III. "Là ci darem la mano" (Don Giovanni, Zerlina)
• Don Giovanni, Op. 500: Act I, Scene III. Duettino "Là ci darem la mano"
• Don Giovanni, Op. 500: Act I, Scene III. "Là ci darem la mano"
• Don Giovanni: Act I, Scene III. Duettino "Là ci darem la mano" (Don Giovanni, Zerlina)
• Don Giovanni: Act I, Scene III. "Là ci darem la mano" (Don Giovanni, Zerlina)
• Don Giovanni: Act I, Scene III. Duettino "Là ci darem la mano"

Bare essentials, without catalogue number, performance type, or character names:

• Don Giovanni: Act I, Scene III. "Là ci darem la mano"

Special case: the Prelude or instrumental parts:

• Don Giovanni: Act III. Prelude
• Don Giovanni: Act III, Scene II. An Instrumental Part

Complex Examples

Another part in the same scene:

• Don Giovanni: Act IV, Scene II. "Là ci darem la mano" - "Another song in the same scene"
• Don Giovanni: Act IV, Scene II. An Instrumental Part - "Là ci darem la mano"

Another part in a different scene:

• Don Giovanni: Act III, Scene I. "Là ci darem la mano" / Act III, Scene II. "Another song in a different scene"
• Don Giovanni: Act III, Scene I. "Là ci darem la mano" / Act III, Scene II. An Instrumental Part in a Different Scene

Another part in a different act:

• Don Giovanni: Act II, Scene III. "Là ci darem la mano" / Act III, Scene I. "Another song in a different act"
• Don Giovanni: Act II, Scene III. "Là ci darem la mano" / Act III. Prelude

Examples in the Database

• Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus feat. conductor: James Levine) (disc 1)
• Here is an example where the Acts were not mentioned on the cover: Opera Arias by Anne Sofie von Otter

History

The story of how we reached an agreement on this style is here: HistoryOfOperaTrackStyle

Discussion

I've run into an odd case, which fits really badly into either OperaTrackStyle or ClassicalTrackStyle. That is Mozart's K. 196. It is an opera - "La finta giardiniera, Op. 196", but also a symphony - "Symphony in D major, K. 196", with symphonic movements (Allegro molto, Andantino grazioso, and Allegro). To try and fit it with both standards, I'm using "La finta giardiniera, Op. 196: III. Symphony in D major: Allegro" which is kind of an ugly amalgamation of both standards, but at least gets the info correct per both. -- BrianSchweitzer 00:32, 05 October 2007 (UTC)