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Rating: 
Summary: Opera. Plain, Simple and Easy to Understand
Review: 100 Great Operas and Their Stories greatest virtue is the number of things it doesn't contain. Among the missing: a list of great preformances, a list of opera singer who have performed the rolls, the usually rating system, and of course the almost obligatory rating/list of available CDs. It contains exactly what its title says -- the stories of the great operas. A list of the cast, a very short background history and the story of the opera act by act. The experienced opera goers can refresh themselves in a few minutes. The novice can find out what its all about in the same time. Also, you can slip the book into your pocket and take it along to the opera for a quick revue before the overture begins.
Rating: 
Summary: Very insightful, very helpful, and well written
Review: A great collection of the 100 most beloved operas. Very helpful for any aspiring opera singer, such as myself, to dig up interesting information about the background of the opera, the plot, where and when the arias take place, and many interesting factoids about the origin of the librettos and the circumstances under which the composer chose to write the opera. An absolute must-have for an opera lover!!!
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Summary: An opera lover's bible
Review: I bought this book a number of years ago and it has made attendance at both the Metropolitan Opera and NYC Opera that much more rewarding. I have read the few page outlines of each of the operas before attending and thus, at the performance, I follow the highlights of the given opera well. I remember when I once attended "Die Walkure," I spent plenty of time preparing (this was back before they projected the libretto while the opera takes place) and this book's coverage of the Ring cycle in general, and this opera, in particular, was a great starting point for me. I was well prepared to fully appreciate the performance. Even operas I have seen over and over merit a review before attending a performance and this book gives a great review. In addition to a good synopsis of the plot, the book gives interesting facts and histories of the operas covered. This book has been in print for a long time. There is a reason for this .. because it is truly a well written, valuable reference. Purcahsing this book is money well spent.
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Summary: Great Book, but limited
Review: I owned this book last year when I started to get into opera. I like this book because the background material is interesting, the synopsis of each opera is covered in enough depth to understand what the opera is essentially about, and each synopsis is clear. (Unfortunately, Opera synopsi tend to be confusing and dry in most books.)However this book only covers 100 operas (as it states in the title.) So, if you are mostly interested in the "Warhorses" such as La Traviata, Turandot, Boris Gudonov, et. al. then this is the book for you. However, don't be surprised if an opera that sounds intriguing that your local opera house is playing or you see at a music store is not represented.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, but limited
Review: I owned this book last year when I started to get into opera. I like this book because the background material is interesting, the synopsis of each opera is covered in enough depth to understand what the opera is essentially about, and each synopsis is clear. (Unfortunately, Opera synopsi tend to be confusing and dry in most books.) However this book only covers 100 operas (as it states in the title.) So, if you are mostly interested in the "Warhorses" such as La Traviata, Turandot, Boris Gudonov, et. al. then this is the book for you. However, don't be surprised if an opera that sounds intriguing that your local opera house is playing or you see at a music store is not represented.
Rating:
Summary: A rare and USEFUL guide
Review: I took an intrest in Opera and wanted to discover more about it. To my dismay, when I read reviews in the papers, I found nearlly nothing of value because they never did the simple job of brifely explaining what the story was actual about. That's why this book is great; it gives a brief summary of what the Opera is about act by act. Thus, this guide is a great tool to find a story that you like; however, one should still look into a local review of an Opera to see how the singers perform and the rendition is done; this book gives reviews in the general.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book to read while sitting on the can
Review: In short, not a bad book. It's to the point and informative with a good range of operas. But you can get a lot of the information on various web sites and this is how it could prevent many people to spend the cash for this book. If it included the libretti, then the book would be a strong recommendation. Still, one may say that it's a lazy man's or woman's way to just get the general info that you need without doing all that web searching. Fair enough.
Rating:
Summary: If you only buy one book on opera...
Review: This is a great book for the opera novice or seasoned opera affectionado. Going to an upcoming opera? Reading the synopsis will refresh one's memory or help the novice to better understand what is going on by acts. This is a well written book and a true bargain for the extensive information provided. I have purchased one for myself and another for a friend. A great gift book!
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