The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Opera

by William Berger, Plácido Domingo (Foreword)

Major composers including Mozart, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, and Strauss * Legendary singers from the great divas to the Three Tenors * What to look for and listen to at the opera * The history of opera and why it endures * Stylistic variations and basic theoretical underpinnings * Appreciating the art form * Biographies of the opera's greatest artists * A survey of classic operas

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2002

About the author

William Berger was born in California and studied Romance languages and music at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He worked for five years at the San Francisco Opera Company, where he acquired for the company’s recorded music collection. He is the author of Wagner Without Fear: Learning to Love–and Even Enjoy–Opera’s Most Demanding Genius and Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera. He is a frequent lecturer and radio commentator and has recently been a regular host for New York Public Radio’s Overnight Music. He has written libretti, performance pieces, and articles on a wide variety of topics including architecture, religion, and, of course, music. He is a music host for WNYC radio and lives in New York.

Reviews

[Tricia Scott]

I picked up this book to use as a resource for an independent study course I was taking on the History of Classical Music and Opera. Turns out this book was amazing. It is a great starting point for those that may not know a lot about Opera. For those that know a bit about Opera, this offers quite a few new bits of information. Not only do you learn the basic definitions of opera, but you also get a bit of history and how opera has evolved through time. However, this book does not come with a CD so I recommend looking at Opera videos and songs through iTunes or YouTube or from your own collection.

[Audrey]

I found the history of the opera at the beginning very interesting and the composers section also. It’s a good book to pick up before heading to a particular opera, because you can read about its history, composer, and past performers for some context for the opera itself that you’ll be seeing. I skimmed through some of the sections like past performers because I don’t know many of those anyway.

[Doreva]

I wanted a basic review of the history of opera and the major composers, works, and opera singers. This books is very approachable for the beginner. I had already read Berger's Verdi with a Vengeance, which is excellent, so I was happy to pick this up at the library. Great for everyone who has limited knowledge of opera and would like some more background to be able to appreciate the art form.

[Moody]

I found this book...welcoming. For the novice listener, a fine starting point, offering a quick, well-rounded overview of opera.

No great revelations here. I was a curious listener and now I'm not. Mission Accomplished.

[Jessica]

Although very helpful and useful for those trying to find out more about classical music, the writing sometimes smacks of elitism and snobbery in the earlier sections. That aside, it did help me find wonderful music and is easily digestible to me as a layman.

[Courtney]

I enjoy listening to opera but don't know enough about it. Time to educate myself!

[Rashaan]

Wonderfully informative, highly accessible, and a great reference to anyone who had the slightest curiosity about this art form.

[Annie]

A concise introduction on the art form including history, genre, performers and composers.