Opera

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Is the word opera always preceded by the word soap for you? Do you suspect that *La Donna e Mobile* doesn’t mean ‘my girl’s got a cellphone’? If you enjoy arias but lack recitative knowledge, this crash course is for you. No prior musical knowledge is required. It decodes tortuous plots, provides brief lives and works of major composers, translates operatic language, and offers a directory of divas and maestros along with a crib sheet of genres. This guide helps you navigate the social snobbery surrounding opera, except in Italy, where it originated and where anyone can belt out an aria like Pavarotti. It features a composed history with helpful leitmotivs (plot summaries, biographies, opera terminology) and a timeline connecting the dramatic world of opera with everyday reality. After reading, you’ll understand what *Cosi fan Tutte* means, how many *Nibelungen* are in the *Ring*, and why a dying tenor can evoke tears. You’ll also learn how to behave in an opera house. The author, Stephen Pettitt, is a trained music buff who writes for prominent British publications and has authored a beginner's book on Handel. From Monteverdi to Maxwell Davies, he covers it all. Attenzione.