The New Penguin Opera Guide

This opera guide is so exhaustive, I think it covers all the operas ever composed until TNPOG's date of publication. I noticed this particular guide mentioned in an on-line reference; the writer considered "The New Penguin…" the best of the best. It doesn'tdisappoint! I go to operas, when possible, at the performance venue, but that involves a lot of travel. Lately, a local cinema hasbegun offering simulcasts of some MetOpera presentations, as well as some London Royal Opera House ballet. (I live in a regionwhich is not generally too interested in the fine/performing arts.) With these newly-accesible offerings, I will be seeing a lot ofoperas with which I am unfamiliar, & this guide lists every one, from "Nixon in China" to 17th-c. royal opera. TNPOG gives composer biographies, background of/inspiration for the operas, act-by-act synopses, cast of characters/voices, meaning &interpretation of the libretti, & date & venue of premiers. Interested in opera? Get this guide!

This book does not have late twentieth century or twenty-first century coverage, but aside from that it is invaluable for anyone who needs or wants more information than the average guide contains. Very good coverage of important composers, for both biography and music, with commentary particular to major works. Perhaps more than most really want to know (includes many obscure composers), but I frequently write essays or give talks for my opera guild and it is almost always my starting point, and sometimes all I need.

This is a guide that every person interested in opera should have.

This is out of print and vanished from the library. This is as exhaustively inclusive as such a book can get. I am thrilled I got such a good copy.

This book is so incredibly helpful! It features the prominent (and lesser-known) operas and operatic composers. I use it almost every day for my classes.

#1

On the back of "The New Penguin Opera Guide", it quotes an endorsement from the Boston Globe--"...The best one-volume opera guide...". This is absolutely the truth! I haven't seen another one volume opera guide that doesn't shamefacedly pale before this one! It covers composers and operas the others don't even get close to. It also includes information that is really valuable to a dedicated opera nut like me, such as premier places and dates, the name of the publishers and whether a full score or only a vocal score has been published, and a list of recordings.Does all this praise mean I don't have any gripes? Far from it! Some of my complaints may reflect my own operatic interests, but others really are flaws. My thing is late romantic opera, so I can only comment on areas that I know.First of all, while they've wisely chosen a wide range of experts to write the descriptions of the composers and operas in question, some composers are treated with much greater sympathy than others of a similar historical importance. For instance, most of the German expressionists make out quite well. Zemlinsky (who's one of my favorite composers)is reviewed by Antony Beaumont, who not only knows about Zemlinsky (he's written an excellent biography), but completed the orchestration of his final opera! You could hardly expect Beaumont to say "'Konig Kandaules' sucks!" On the other hand, it's hard to find a single verismo composer, Puccini excepted, for whom the guide has much sympathy...Giordano "lacks resoursefulness and inventiveness". Mascagni's creative impetus was "short-breathed and lacked continuity". Zandonai showed "dangerous signs of repeating himself". Montemezzi was a "relatively minor, conservative composer", who's later works are "disappointing...unassuming, and unadverterous". You get the idea. The guide also gives far more weight to modernist and recent works than their performance histories seem to justify, while neglecting important works by expressionist, verismo, and American romantic composers. Alfano's "Cyrano de Bergerac", which has two available recordings, and upcoming productions starring Roberto Alagna and Placido Domingo, doesn't have an entry. Neither do the operas of American composers Victor Herbert or Deems Taylor, though they were of some historical importance, and Taylor's works were popular successes. Henry K. Hadley, who's "Cleopatra's Night" was successful at the Met, isn't even included in the book. It also lacks a meaningful table of contents.These things aside, this is a must have title for the serious opera fan. The CD-rom version of this book has even more information as well as some sound samples and more pictures.

THE best and most comprehensive guide to Opera! And some musicals are included too!

Still authoritative and this was an excellent second hand buy.

Excellent condition at an excellent price; a replacement for an old and much used version. This book is a must for opera fans, particularly with such excellent performances availble on TV, DVD and CD.

Did not like that the copy , although good , was an x library, but very happy to have obtained the book.