目录：
Contents
Introduction
Introducing Opera
What is opera？
Librettos and librettists
Staging opera
Opera houses and festivals
Idols of opera
Monteverdi to mozart c.1600-1800
Italian opera c.1800-1925
Germanic opera c.1800-1950
French opera c.1790-1900
Russian opera c.1830-1960
Czech opera c.1860-1940
Modern opera c.1900-
Index
Acknowledgments
内容简介：
Packed into every page of this book is the excitement of discovery， knowledge，
taste and visual beauty. It all gives the reader the illusion of being at an actual
performance‘ - Placido Domingo. ’Opera is a beautiful guide for opera enthusiasts as
well as the perfect welcome for converts to this ancient rite. It offers today‘s and
tomorrow’s audiences a delightful ‘navigation system’ along an avenue that leads
from Monteverdi to Bob Wilson‘ - Stephane Lissner， Director of the Teatro alla Scala.
This is an essential reading whether you are a seasoned opera goer looking for a
quick brush-up before a performance， or new to the genre and wanting to know
more.From Baroque to Italian， from Vivaldi to Debussy explore 400 years of music drama from late-Renaissance Italy to works from contemporary names including
Philip Glass and Thomas Ades. Discover hundreds of classic and modern opera
interpretations， learn about the lives of operatic masters， from Monteverdi to
Adams plus， read act-by-act synopses of more than 160 operas from Madama
Butterfly and Tosca to Candide and The Maid of Pskov which signpost the highlights
of each opera and help you follow the story-line and identify characters. Eyewitness
Companions Opera is music for your ears and eyes.
