The illustrated story of opera Book

This book is a fantastic resource for any new or experienced opera lover.

The majority of the book consists of overviews of most commonly performed operas. Each overview covers the characters, a scene-by-scene breakdown of the story, then another breakdown of what to listen for if you are listening to the opera rather than seeing it performed. (I found this very useful as I have a few operas on CD and it helps me pinpoint where I am in the opera, what is happening, and what to look forward to). Then, some brief stats on the opera, such as the first performance and original reception, followed by "News and Gossip" which typically provided more information on how the opera originated and was received. Lastly, the author gives his own comments and an overall rating of that particular opera (Alpha to Gamma)..

The remainder of the book explains basic opera concepts; highlights key composers, conductors, and singers; and provides a glossary.

What I enjoyed most about this book is how accessible it is, regardless of level of knowledge. Everything is explained in detail without being pompous or scholarly. Operatic terms are used, but everything is defined clearly in the glossary or in the operatica section. The tone is friendly and casual, although some of the plot summaries were a little too tongue-in-cheek or jokey, to the point that it was difficult to tell what was really in the opera and what was not. However, after reading a few, I found I got used to the language and could tell when the author was cracking a joke.

Overall, I found that this book contained everything I wanted to know and I would recommend it for anyone looking to learn more about opera.