A Mad Love
An Introduction to Opera

O Dolci baci, o languide carezze I’ve never read a book about opera. Until now. And this nonfiction work astonished me. It is well written, easy to read and enjoy, full of informations and examples. I didn’t know anything about opera before reading this book. I knew the story of Tosca just because I l......more

A invitation for non-musicians to fall in love with opera My "currently reading" stack is so tall that it reaches above my desk from the floor. And, today, I just finished Vivien Schweitzer's wonderful little book after more than four years of reading. In that time, I've modified the book considerabl......more

Dynamic, entertaining overview of the opera from its origins to the present. Full of anecdotes I didn’t know and was glad to learn. Made me jot down a list of new operas to see, including some of the modern ones. I’ll be paying attention to the operas I see with new considerations in mind because of......more

Excellent overview of the history of opera with links to the music discussed found on Spotify. In addition to factual information, the author writes with passion about the magical moments and fascinating people found in opera.......more

I'm not a fan of opera but I did enjoy learning the about the subject. The author did an excellent job of explaining the history of opera, the different types of opera, the composers and their methodology etc. I listened to several of the arias that the author mentions, especially the one featured i......more