Describes the creation of an opera based on Aesop's Fables which was written, composed and performed by middle school students. Student groups created scenes based on the fables and devised methods for realizing them musically. Activity organization and student evaluation methods are discussed. (AM)

To succeed in today's competitive opera world, a singer needs--in addition to a good voice--personality, acting ability, good appearance, musicianship, language facility, versatility, and experience. Especially important are sight reading skills, care of the voice, and the ability to express emotion. Part of a theme issue on opera. (Author/SJL)

Articles concerning music are included in this newsletter dedicated to cultural venture to be jointly carried out by the Council of Europe and the European communities. Many events will mark Music Year 1985, including concerts, dance performances, operas, publications, recordings, festivals, exhibitions, competitions, and conferences on musical…

The study reported in this paper examined the structure and function of Chinese opera (also known as Peking opera) as an effective communication medium of social control and change in China, a land populated by 800 million people and nourished by a 5,000-year-old civilization. The study followed structural-functional analysis, content analysis,…

Describes how a first-grade class created an operetta about losing their teeth. The students told stories about losing teeth and made those stories into songs using Orff-type speech and music techniques. (AM)

The composer of an opera for elementary students describes his composition and the process of taking it out to the schools of southern Ohio. This article is part of a theme issue on opera. (SJL)

Deals with the problems encountered by beginning opera directors. Emphasizes consideration of rehearsal scheduales, conductor-director relationship, and script interpretation. (MH)

A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY AND AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SOLO SONG CYCLES (PUBLISHED FROM 1800 TO 1965 WITH TEXTS IN GERMAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN, AND ENGLISH) WERE COMPILED. FOR THIS RESEARCH THE SONG CYCLE WAS ASSUMED TO BE A COMPOSITE OF SONGS WITH TEXTS OF RELATED THOUGHT AND CHARACTER, DESIGNED BY A COMPOSER TO FORM A SINGLE ARTISTIC MUSICAL UNIT.…

Discusses an economic and morphological analysis of the field of contemporary music creation in order to define the three major problems which face governments and local authorities which intervene to support a fairly large number of bodies concerned with the production and/or performance of music and which are unable to finance themselves.…

Madame Butterfly and a host of other singing characters introduce children to a grand art form. (Editor)

The San Francisco Opera Guild sponsors the Operatunities Program which introduces elementary and secondary students in California to opera. For example, each year the Scholar Opera visits 130 schools from San Francisco to San Jose, exposing approximately 50,000 youngsters to the music and drama of opera. (RM)

The Piedmont Opera Company embarked on opera productions in two junior high schools, involving professional performers with students and faculty. School members sang in the chorus, danced, and acted in walk-on roles. Many departments besides music took part in the varied aspects of the production. (CS)

This study examines the needs of scholars who study opera, including what materials they use, how often they cite foreign language materials, and what kinds of operas are studied most frequently. A citation analysis was performed on "Cambridge Opera Journal,""Opera Quarterly," and "Opera Journal." Results are…