For almost four hundred years opera was the dominant form of public entertainment as well as the pinnacle of musical and theatrical arts in the West. This course aims to make opera more enjoyable and understandable and to look at depictions and representations of Asian cultures in traditional Western opera across various cultures and time periods. This course will briefly examine the development of Western opera and their related literary texts and then closely discuss selected operas that depict Asian exoticism. By watching and analyzing opera, the students will learn to understand the relationship between music, literature, drama, and culture and also come to understand how these works promoted either a common cultural understanding or a reductionist or even prejudiced viewpoint with regard to Asia. Prior knowledge or experience of Western opera or classical music is not required.