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THTR-T 634: Costume Design for Opera and Ballet

This guide will assist costume design students in using music library tools.

Learn the synopsis of an opera



Books and encyclopedias!
There is reliable, easy-to-find information in print books and encyclopedias in the library.
The majority of these are on the first floor (reference section) under call number ML102.O

The very best options include:

  • The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ML102.O6 N5
    https://iucat.iu.edu/catalog/4211377
     
  • The Simon and Schuster Book of the Opera: A Complete Reference Guide, ML102.O6 O63
    https://iucat.iu.edu/catalog/3990527
     
  • Opera Librettists And Their Works, ML102.O6 P251
    https://iucat.iu.edu/catalog/2185885
     
  • Dictionary of Opera Characters, ML102.O6 B68
    https://iucat.iu.edu/catalog/8983293

Opera synopsis secret weapon: Sound Recordings!

CDs and vinyl LPs often contain "liner notes"--little booklets that give you the synopsis of an opera along with line-by-line text with translations! Simply search for a recording in IUCAT and ask the front desk to fetch it for you.