The Collins Guide To Opera And Operetta
About this ebook
The entry for each opera includes:
- The composer, the librettist and the first performance
- Principal characters and plot synopsis
- Musical approach and highlights
- Diverting background information, reviews and anecdotes featured in an entertaining Did you know? section
The guide also includes a potted biography and list of operatic output for each composer, plus an overview of the history and development of opera and operetta, and a glossary of musical terms.
With a timescale ranging from 17th century Monteverdi to present-day Birtwistle and an alphabetical spread from Adams to Zimmermann, via Britten, Mozart, Puccini, Strauss, Sullivan, Verdi and Wagner, Collins Opera & Operetta is an indispensable reference source for opera devotees and newcomers alike.
About the author
Through his weekly columns in the ‘Independent on Sunday’ and broadcasts on radio and television, Michael White is one of the best-known music critics in Britain. He is author of a number of opera libretti singing translations and the book ‘Wagner for Beginners’, which was published in 1996. A barrister, he read Law at Oxford and lives in Hampstead, North London.
Elaine Henderson has degrees from the universities of Keele and Glasgow. She is a freelance writer and editor and teaches English literature in adult education.
