Opera: Composers, Works, Performers

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Summary: Alphabetical by Composer
Review: 12/28/03 Alphabetical by Composer,favorites such as Opera's newest "hopefuls"( Andrea Boccelli,Sarah Brightman,Charlotte Church and others) introduced since the '90's on PBS stations are not listed in editor -in -chief Andras Batta's "Opera[composers.works.performers]"However the magnificience of the illustrations and the synopsis(s) of the multitude of composers' works along with the knowlege that the "reader(avid opera fan or those with "just an interest in opera") will travel via "a to z"(English adaptation)/the original is German publication:Konemann year1999;US publication ,year 2000 through 400 years(4 centuries of 'Darwinism' "and" 'Evolution')many works Darwinistically getting revied..e.g.the last composer listed : Udo Zimmerman(born 10/6/1943)'s "White Rose" orig. 1967/rev 1986.The 1st composer listed (Pg 10) John Adams(born 2/15/1947) has synopsis of 3 of his 9 works on Pgs 10 & 11 :"Nixon In China";"Death of Klinghoffer"; and his most recent work in 1994 "I Was Looking At the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky"(This work caught my attention due to a non-fiction I own "Looking Through the Skylight")..The book is one that reads like an encyclopedaedia on music,yet like any good "book of the arts" is beyond the limited range of "reference book".It's faux pas is that there is no ability of the editor-in-chief Andras Batta to give it a content page(since there is no theme by sections) so it does become due to its quantity/volume a "where do I go to now" in the reader wanting to at least scan the best opera plots via the synopsis(s) of the various composers.

Rating:
Summary: Alphabetical by Composer
Review: I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. I find it quite comprehensive and reasonably easy to navigate. Whether you are an opera fanatic, music student, or someone wanting to broaden their horizons, I recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A must have!
Review: I saw this book on a shelf and WOW! It's the perfect Opera book for people who apreciate the art in the litriture of the Opera and the art in the orchestration of the scenery and costumes. An Opera lover guide to the galaxy! Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: It is more than an operatic picture album
Review: You might be impressed by the size and dimension of the book at your first glance when you opened the carton box. This big and thick book is full of colorful photographs, pictures and illustrations on opera that we have in music history, including composers' biographies and the synopsis of the opera in feature. That's not the end. There are some medium-length, reader-friendly articles on some interesting topics of opera, like how an opera come into shape, Haydn's opera at Esterhaza, Italian opera in England etc. An impressive volume for both amateur listeners and opera lovers.