The dictionary of opera

by Charles Osborne

"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."--BOOK JACKET.

382 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1983

About the author

Charles Thomas Osborne was a journalist, theatre and opera critic, poet and novelist. He was assistant editor of The London Magazine from 1958 until 1966, literature director of the Arts Council of Great Britain from 1971 until 1986, and chief theatre critic of Daily Telegraph (London) from 1986 to 1991. He is the only author the Agatha Christie Estate has ever allowed to produce adapted works in her name. (wikipedia)