The Opera Handbook

Book by Lazarus, John

This handbook is intended, "not as a comprehensive encyclopedia, but rather a stimulus and a springboard for further exploration." It contains 200 opera plots selected according to number of performances given by major opera houses in the 1980s ranging from Peri's Euridice to Birtwistle's Mask of Orpheus. Arranged by national schools, it presents concise historical backgrounds, premiere dates, plot summaries, overviews of each work emphasizing its relationship with other operas of similar theme, plot, or characterization, discography, and bibliography. It also includes a glossary of operatic terms, biographical sketches of contemporary artists, and a disappointingly incomplete list of national companies, their festivals, and their publications. Black-and-white photos complement the text. For novices, this is a no-nonsense guide; for buffs, it is intriguing to read and provides that promised stimulus for good-natured quibbling with some of the author's personal observations. Recommended to stand beside, but not replace, Gustav Kobbe, Eric Cross, and Ernest Newman on public library shelves. Also reviewed in Reference are The Film Handbook (above) , The Dance Handbook, and The Jazz Handbook (below) . --Ed.
- Beverly True, Cumberland Regional Lib., Am herst, Nova Scotia
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.