Back to all genres

Series in Opera

Books in Opera

Bluffer's Guide To Opera

Bluffer's Guide To Opera

Instantly acquire all the knowledge you need to pass as an expert in the world of opera. Know what to say, where to say it, what not to say, where to be seen, and even what to wear. Never again confuse a castrato with a contralto, a prima donna with sopratitoli, or O Sole Mio with an ice cream advert. Bask in the admiration of your fellow opera lovers as you pronounce confidently on the merits of Donizetti’s bel canto over Wagner’s leitmotiv, and hold your own against the most sneering of opera buffs..

So When Does the Fat Lady Sing?

So When Does the Fat Lady Sing?

(Amadeus). Think opera's just about starving artists, vengeful goddesses, randy noblemen, and adulterous lovers? Think again. In So When Does the Fat Lady Sing? , Michael Walsh, the former music critic for Time magazine, takes audiences on a wise and witty dash through 400 years of operatic history and culture. More a freewheeling dialogue between author and reader than a traditional quiz book, So When Does the Fat Lady Sing? poses irreverent and impertinent questions designed not so much to test knowledge as to inspire and entertain both expert and novice alike. Curtain up!

Who's Afraid of Opera?

Who's Afraid of Opera?

For anyone who has been intimidated, overwhelmed, or just plain confused by what they think opera is, Who's Afraid of Opera? offers a guide to what author Michael Walsh describes as "the greatest art form yet invented by humankind." Curtain up! It's time to settle into your seat, close up your program, and watch the house lights go down. And get ready for the musical ride of your lives.