An introduction to four hundred years of opera and its composers with recommended key recordings for the key opera singers.

"In clear, witty prose, Evan Baker covers all the major players and pieces involved in getting an opera onto the stage, from the stage director who creates the artistic concept for the production and guides the singers' interpretation of their roles to the blocking of singers and placement of scenery. He concentrates on the people--composers, librettists, designers, and technicians--as well as the theaters and events that generated developments in...

An Economist Best Book of 2007, Jonathan Carr's The Wagner Clan proves, with the sweeping scope of a Wagnerian opera, that the history of Europe and that of the infamous composer's family are inextricably intertwined. Carr presents not only Richard Wagner himself- musician, philosopher, philanderer, failed revolutionary, and virulent anti-Semite-but also a colorful cast of historical figures who feature in Wagner's story: Franz Liszt (whose illegitimate...

"Richard Wagner (1813-1883) is one of the most influential--and also one of the most controversial--composers in the history of music. Over the course of his long career, he produced a stream of spellbinding works that challenged musical convention through their richness and tonal experimentation, ultimately paving the way for modernism. This book presents an in-depth but easy-to-read overview of Wagner's life, work and times. It considers a wide...

In 19th century Seville, the lusty, tempestuous Carmen seduces a naive Army corporal, Don Jose, newly assigned to the village fortress. Jose abandons his career, his fiancee and even his dying mother for the love of this sultry gypsy. But soon she spurns him in favor of a toreador, Escamillo. Crazed with jealousy, Jose begs Carmen to return to him, but her taunting declaration of independence results in tragedy.

Each volume provides discussions of the literary and historical background of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes concise synopses of plot, characters and themes, a brief author biography, discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance, and excerpted criticism.