Opera Offstage: Passion and Politics Behind the Great Opera

by Milton E. Brener

Here's the scoop on how 27 operatic classics came to be, from the inspiration for the character of Carmen to tales of a few of Richard Wagner's vicissitudes. A good choice for those who like to know the story behind the story, well-written and presented.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

244 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1996

Reviews

[Shane Hill]

A fun book about the stories behind the scenes of the greatest composers and their most famous Operas!!

[Caroline Lipson]

Does a phenomenal job of explaining opera plots to the non-musician. Tying in aspects of history and politics, this book gives context to an otherwise very complex story of these various popular operas. A perfect mix of musicianship content with mainstream explanations.

[Kathy]

Although a tone-deaf non-musician, I nonetheless enjoy and appreciate all kinds of music. Opera has enthralled me in recent years, and we in St. Louis are fortunate to have three grand opera troupes plus The Met Live in HD at a local movie theatre. I gravitate toward every one of them, so of course I snatch any opera book I find. This one was great fun, as it lets the reader peek backstage and beyond.