How to Prepare to Sing an Opera Role

As you see by the drawing above, this is how an instrumentalist can learn an opera.  But what does a singer do to prepare an opera role?  A singer must not only learn the music, but research the opera on several levels.  It takes time, but it is much more rewarding when an artist is totally informed when performing.
I have had times when I have had to learn an opera quickly.  I once had to learn Luisa Miller in 36 hours.  I also learned Aida in 5 days.  Luckily I had the time and facility to focus and succeed.  As I get older I find it harder with the myriad distractions in life to focus as I did when I was younger, but when I do have time, anything more than a couple months, this is what I do to learn a role:

1.  I buy a score and a CD, and find a good translation, hopefully more word for word and not poetic.  I am fortunate that I speak multiple languages, so I can read a great deal of most scores.  I read through the score and when I need help I look at the translation.  If the phrase or translation doesn't seem right, I use a dictionary to find a particular word..  If this fails, I call someone who speaks the language of the opera and resolve the issue. Sometimes this leads to a wonderful conversation about linguistics and historical use of language.  But the important thing is to do as much as I can by myself so that I can make it mine: I have to understand and feel the message of the opera.
2.  I listen to all of the recording while reading my score.  I do this to get a feel for the scope of what the composer wants to present to the audience.
3.  I listen again to my role and read carefully so that I can circle words that catch my ear as maybe a bit odd to pronounce and how they fit in with the music.
4.  I sit at the piano and go through the score with the recording.  I stop every few phrases and sing the phrases, making sure the breathing and support are correct.
5.  I sit at the piano run thru my scenes and sing thru them with the score.
6.  Hopefully my musicianship is good enough so that by this point all is in order and I am ready to go to a coach who is experienced, knows the repertoire, and can correct me if I have missed anything.  By this point my score is basically memorized.

Learning an opera is a process, but also a joy that is exhilarating and very satisfying when done correctly.  If  done correctly we can come into the first rehearsal full prepared to share the experience of the great music with our colleagues.