Who'S Afraid Of Opera?

Rating:
Summary: A highly entertaining and non-threatening intro to opera.
Review: I enjoyed "Who's Afraid of Opera?" very much, and have recommended it to several people.

I'm an opera "newbie" who is interested in opera but didn't know where to start. I had not been tempted to read other books about opera that for the most part seemed dry and impenetrable. Michael Walsh's book, on the other hand, was more like having an extended and animated conversation about opera over dinner or while walking along with a friend. In fact, until I had finished the book, I treated it as such, taking it with me everywhere, like a companion, and was eager to read it when I had a spare moment.

Michael Walsh is indeed opinionated, but that is part of why I was so stimulated by this book. It made me want to go out and see/listen to the same operas he discusses--to determine if I agreed with his opinions! Whether I agreed with him or not, I was consistently entertained by this book and would recommend it to anyone as a good "starter" book to the world of opera! In "Who's Afraid of Opera" Michael Walsh will both irritate and delight you, as anyone worth talking to should.

Rating:
Summary: Don't be afraid
Review: I enjoyed Michael Walsh's "Who's afraid of classical music?" and when I discovered that he had written a companion text for opera, I set out to read it. "Who's afraid of opera?" is excellent, as it concentrates on that scarier form of musical drama: opera! Walsh sets out to debunk many of the misunderstandings about opera, and shows how delightful opera can be, as it combines drama and music. He also shows that many of the themes in opera are basically the themes we still see today, in pop culture and so forth (love, really in love, kill for love). All in all, a great book for the beginner hoping to set off on their operatic journey!

Rating:
Summary: Don't be afraid
Review: I enjoyed Michael Walsh's "Who's afraid of classical music?" and when I discovered that he had written a companion text for opera, I set out to read it. "Who's afraid of opera?" is excellent, as it concentrates on that scarier form of musical drama: opera! Walsh sets out to debunk many of the misunderstandings about opera, and shows how delightful opera can be, as it combines drama and music. He also shows that many of the themes in opera are basically the themes we still see today, in pop culture and so forth (love, really in love, kill for love). All in all, a great book for the beginner hoping to set off on their operatic journey!

Rating:
Summary: Outspoken guide to opera as living art about real people
Review: This book, along with Fred Plotkin's "Opera 101", was one of the very first that I read when I was just beginning to learn about and enjoy opera. A Time Magazine music critic, Mr. Walsh has written a book that is indeed highly "opinionated", but the author is very enthusiastic about opera as a meaningful and valuable past and present, living, art form. Interesting and enjoyable personal anecdotes and information on a number of recent works by such composers os Adams and Glass, as well as an emphasis on operas that explore everyday human values and ideas make the book rather unique among opera guides for beginners that I've seen. Highly recommended, especially for readers who are interested in music but not yet sure whether or not opera is for them.