The Metropolitan Opera encyclopedia

The world of opera is justifiably celebrated for its excitement and theatricality. It is also a complex world, for both the seasoned opera-goer and the novice. Here is the first one-volume encyclopedia edited from an American point of view to cover the international spectrum of opera, created under the auspices of America's leading opera company. The 2,500 entries, edited by David Hamilton, cover opera's 400-year history, and include the most important operas, Singer's, conductors and composers.

As a special feature, the encyclopedia includes 24 guest essays by noted singers and conductors such as Placido Domingo, James Levine, Birgit Nilsson, Luciano Pavarotti, Leontyne Price, and Joan Sutherland, and others by today's leading writers on opera. A complete list of these essays appears on the back of the jacket. The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia is lavishly complemented by hundreds of illustrations, many in full color. Covering the operatic A to Z (Claudio Abbado to Teresa Zylis-Gara), this is the definitive one-volume reference on the world of opera.