La Scala Encyclopedia of the Opera: A Complete Reference Guide

Simon & Schuster, 1993. Hardcover. A very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

The La Scala Encyclopedia of the Opera is a comprehensive and easy-to-consult reference book covering, from A to Z, the varied repertoire of world opera. More than 450 operas, spanning the last four centuries, are detailed, from Jacopo Peri's Euridice through Verdi and Wagner, and up to more modern works. Each opera entry lists the specifics concerning the author, date, town, and theater of the work's first performance and includes information about the singers, as well as a summary of the plot and a commentary on the critical acclaim and public reception of the most famous performances. This encyclopedia also introduces all the performers and composers who have been associated with opera, from its origins through the popularity it enjoys today. Many entries are accompanied by sections that focus on specific themes, such as singing dynasties, the relationships between opera and cinema and between the opera singer and the impresario, the origins of American opera, the artistic and musical life that accompanies a festival, madness in opera, and operas as symbols of great theaters. This is the essential opera reference guide; up-to-date, informative, and beautifully illustrated, it can be consulted with equal ease by lay opera fans and scholars alike.