At the crossroads of the arts, literature, history and technology, this course places the practice of opera within a set of contingencies that deserve to be known by performers and lovers of opera in general. The aim is to study librettos using literature, history and music to provide the understanding needed to interpret them, without attempting to stage them.

In this course, dramaturgy becomes a discussion, a sharing of questions ("How do you create subtext?", "Why can't I see the psychology of the characters when I read a libretto?") and elements of answers.

This course is designed for instrumentalists. It aims to understand works in a variety of styles, periods and genres, to put one's artistic practice into perspective and forge one's own unique interpretation. As well as acquiring theoretical knowledge and analysing works, students are introduced to the main analytical methodologies specific to the repertoire studied.