A Beginners Guide to the Opera

by Jeremy Nicholas

With Pavarotti in Hyde Park and Nessun Dorma reaching number one in the pop charts, the enormous success of the Three Tenors concert, Kiri Te Kanawa singing the Rugby World Cup song, and Aida packing in crowds at Earl's Court, opera has never been more popular in the UK. No longer the exclusive preserve of the rich and pin-striped, a whole new generation is enjoying the discovery that opera has drama, romance and spectacle.

Genres: Music

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Adam Dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot rate this book highly enough. It was bought as a gift and it has transformed my opera experience. I read it from cover to cover even though it is probably supposed to be a reference book. As I read, I tracked the 'recommended listening' suggested in the book and each one lead me into new and thrilling experiences (thank you, YouTube!) Mr Nicholas' style is light, fun and entertaining. I think he sees opera for what it is - joyful entertainment with some outlandish and far-too-serious-for-their-own-good plot lines. I've always wanted to mine this subject a little more deeply and this was the perfect tool for the job.