[.ca] Opera 101 A Complete Guide: Learning and Loving Opera (ISBN 0786880252)

From Amazon.com:
Just as the title says, this is a basic primer on what opera is, what to look for and what to listen to. There is nothing stuffy in Plotkin's style, which is clear and idiomatic. The book also boasts a foreword by supertenor Placido Domingo.

Perfect Beginner's Book:
If you're curious about Opera, and wonder "just what is it that gets all these people so passionate? Sounds like caterwauling to me." This is the perfect introductory book. A painless introduction for the "unwashed" including all the little nuances you'd never know and your mother didn't teach you. Become comfortable with the topic, do your homework, and be adventurous: attend a live opera at a theater near you!

Operating manual for opera attendance:
Having read about a dozen books that tout themselves as introductions to opera, I found "Opera 101" to be perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch. In an ever-so-slight way, it is at times a bit preachy and a bit overobvious. You will feel occasionally like you are in a high-school music appreciation class, or reading an operating manual. On the other hand, Plotkin leaves absolutely nothing out, and no stone unturned, and for that he is to be commended. Every possible question is answered, and answered thoroughly. In addition, the appendices are chock full o' valuable information (a list of all the major and mid-major opera houses all over the world; books for further reading; recommended CD recordings and DVD filmings; etc.). And you have the feeling at all times that Ploktin knows what he's talking about. This is the PERFECT book for any adult who knows absolutely zilch about opera but who wants to learn it all, and learn it all out of a single source.

Enjoy it while you learn and love opera:
An excellent book for those new to Opera. It is a true guide to learn and love Opera. The book contains a brief history of Opera, plus a chapter to understand its basic elements. Even there is a chapter that guides you through the experience of going to the theater for the first time. Then the rest of the book is a guide to learn opera through listening to a selection of great works: Rigoletto, Tosca, Lucia.. An absolute recommendation for those who are starting at knowing Opera. It is THE book. Very easy to read and written with a warm familiar voice, this book will become a best friend in your journey to loving Opera. I was already an opera lover when I first read it, and even if it is written specially for newcomers, I did enjoy it very much as I re-discovered some of the reasons why I love opera.

An excellent introduction for the serious beginner.:
*Opera 101* should be the perfect book for you if you know you want to learn more about opera but are having trouble "getting" it. The book is written by an opera expert in a light but intelligent style, and it assumes that the reader comes to it with nothing more than a genuine desire to learn and some money to spend on recordings. After a short intro chapter, Fred Plotkin begins with a 90-page history of opera that even seasoned opera-goers (of which I am one, I suppose) should find instructive. Plotkin then provides an excellent chapter on opera singers and the nuts-and-bolts of attending an opera. Almost all of the rest of the book is taken up with in-depth "lessons" on eleven key operas, each chosen to expand the reader's understanding in a certain direction. Although each of these lessons is designed for you to use while studying a particular recording of each opera, they are highly instructive if you have a recording other than the one Plotkin recommends, or even if you have no recording available at all. I would recommend this book to any serious beginner.

A Book Worth Reading and Keeping!:
For a person who wants to learn something about opera in an interesting, yet not too technical manner....this is the book! Articles by the author, Fred Plotkin, turn up from time to time in the New York Times, Travel and Leisure Magazine and even GQ. The first portion of the book is devoted to recounting the history of opera. It covers 400 years, starting with the opera Daphne in the mid fifteenth century. The chapter is well written and is primarily a history of opera from one country to another. The next section of the book deals with how to appreciate this art form. Explanation of language use, costumes, performers and audiences as well as a host of "side comments" is most helpful. Then the author does a wonderful job of taking the reader through a study of ten operas...offering some wonderul insights that prove helpful. This is definitely a primer that belongs on the bookshelf for frequent reference.