Customer Reviews

Giuseppe Verdi: Falstaff (Cambridge Opera Handbooks)

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You can't beat the Cambridge Opera Handbooks as a source of background material for specific operas. They contain a nice balance of historical material regarding the opera's genesis, musical analysis and stage history with excellent illustrations. The main problem is that there are so many operas and so few of these handbooks. But each is a gem that offers much to the reader and recompenses time spent in perusing them with numerous benefits. I now have read about half a dozen and each time come away with a great deal of appreciation not only for the opera covered, but for the degree of scholarship of the contributors. On first look, they may sound dry, but there is so much in each as to hold one's interest. If you want an enjoyable way to learn about specific operas, this is the way to go. I only wish that we had them 61 years ago when I first started attending operas.