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 // K. 207a/121. It is a symphony which concludes an opera - "La finta giardiniera, Op. 196", but also a symphony - "Symphony in D major, No. 51 K. 207a/121", with symphonic movements (Allegro molto, Andantino grazioso, and Allegro). To try and fit it with both standards, I'm using "Symphony No. 51 in D major, 207a/121: I. La finta giardiniera, Op. 196: Allegro molto" 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)
- I suppose this happens so seldom that we don't really need to create a specific rule for it, but I would have preferred "Symphony No. 51 in D major, KV 207a/121 / La finta giardiniera, KV 196: I. Allegro molto" I prefer to keep the movement number and the indication together (and KV is of course better ;-) ) --davitof 2007-10-05
- I like that better too. As for KV vs K., using KV for a work indicator, especially in this case, would simply be incorrect - there is no such work as KV 207a, but there is a KV 121, or a K. 207a/121. The K./KV indicates which Kochel catalog is being used - there is no inherent "betterness" in my eyes to using a work number from K6, then indicating that it's a K1 work number. (My pet Mozart peeve in the current CSG :P). -- BrianSchweitzer 15:42, 05 October 2007 (UTC)
- Oh - I am guessing that perhaps you meant "Symphony No. 51 in D major, K. 207a/121 / La finta giardiniera, Op. 196: I. Allegro molto"? (Op. instead of KV on the opera end of things) -- BrianSchweitzer 15:44, 05 October 2007 (UTC)
- I like that better too. As for KV vs K., using KV for a work indicator, especially in this case, would simply be incorrect - there is no such work as KV 207a, but there is a KV 121, or a K. 207a/121. The K./KV indicates which Kochel catalog is being used - there is no inherent "betterness" in my eyes to using a work number from K6, then indicating that it's a K1 work number. (My pet Mozart peeve in the current CSG :P). -- BrianSchweitzer 15:42, 05 October 2007 (UTC)
