The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Opera. - book review

American Music Teacher, August-Sept, 2002 by Albert R. Brewer

by William Berger; forward by Placido Domingo. Perigee Books/Penguin Putnam (375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014), 2002. 221 pp., $13.95.

This all-too-short book is for anyone interested in opera, from the dilettante (Are there any such?) to the fanatic. The foreword alone is worth the price of this book. Mr. Domingo very concisely states the overall problem with the lack of music in our schools in a page and a half.

The meat-and-potatoes portion of the book not only contains a very well done commentary on opera in general, but it is also a good read.

Chapter headings state exactly what is in each chapter. Chapter One is called, "What Is Opera?" I have never read a better definition of opera than this chapter. In Chapter Two, "The Story of Opera," you don't need to take a history of opera class at the graduate level to understand what most of us will want to know. This chapter contains all of the basics and is entertaining, too.

Chapter Three, "Varieties of Opera," requires no explanation--it has them all. This is followed by "Opera Deconstructed." If you want to understand the various kinds of voices, arias, ensemble types, orchestral uses and so forth, then this is the chapter. I thought I had a fair understanding of most of this information, but, quite frankly, I learned quite a bit. Berger's anecdotal style is very helpful.

The three chapters that follow cover composers, performers and the operas themselves. These three chapters are succinct passages about the main protagonists in each area. None of them could be considered complete, but all contain the most important ones. The anecdotal style again makes for very entertaining reading.

Chapter Eight identifies key operas available on CD. This list, although not pretending to be complete, is a superb place to start for someone trying to start a personal opera recording library. The excellent selections note which one to listen to first, and this is very helpful.

In "Total Opera Experience," the author makes a very good case for doing one's best to see a staged version of an opera rather than merely listening to a recording. There is a very good sidebar on page 183 about performances on video. In fact, the use of sidebars throughout the book is most practical.

Chapter Ten, "The Language of Opera," is really a glossary of opera terms. However, the definitions are much more complete than the average. An example from page 202: "Spinto: (It., `pushed') A somewhat heavier voice than a pure lyric (soprano), though not as loud and heavy as a `dramatic'. Funny, but to say a voice is a true `spinto,' using the Italian word, is a great compliment, while to say it is `pushed' in plain English is a criticism."

The last section, "Resources for Curious Listeners," contains books, magazines, websites and much more for further study. The index is also well done.

If you have not discovered by now that I think all of us opera enjoyers should have this book, then I will leave you with one quote from Chapter Two:

   Strangely, both sides in the Cold War used opera to demonstrate their own
   legitimacy. The irony was profound. Berlin had always wanted to be
   perceived as a center of European culture and specifically, opera. All it
   took to achieve this long-desired goal was the total destruction, division,
   and occupation of the city.

This book is a very entertaining read. I just wish it weren't so short. Reviewed by Albert R. Brewer, Oceanside, California.