Description:
The extraordinary thing about The Great Operas is the amount of material the producers have managed to cram onto one CD-ROM. The figures on the box are impressive enough, but once inside you have to suspend disbelief and prepare for a long wallow in an operatic gold mine. The work is in six sections: operas, composers, great interpreters, the world's top 25 opera houses, history, and a glossary. Of course it is not comprehensive--some of the information is a little outdated, and the sound quality is not wonderful--but this is a tremendous introduction to the world of opera. One impressive feature is that unlike many works aimed at a wide audience, The Great Operas does not shirk the 20th century, offering extracts of 20 of the century's great operas. Artist biographies have audio excerpts, complete with the score, and as a bonus there are five marvelous video clips, including Callas, Sutherland, and Pavarotti--all in black and white, but well worth including. The history section has direct links to audio examples, and even a few seconds of listening provide a flavor of the work that no printed volume could ever hope to achieve. --Keith Clarke
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