The Dictionary of the Opera
by Charles Osborne
Category: Music

The Dictionary of the Opera features entries on nearly 300 composers and 800 singers, as well as conductors, producers, set designers, librettists, and others. Arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced, the entries include authoritative comments by the author on the composers' careers, historical and technical information, plot summaries of 570 operas, and historical and contemporary critical receptions of the works and performances. 170 photographs and illustrations, spanning the history of opera from its beginnings to the present, accompany the text.