Basic enough to be a cheat sheet for intimidated beginners, this guide is also sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by those who already love opera. Full coverage of major works by more than 30 composers, including Verdi, Wagner, Mozart, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Handel, and Strauss, features a description of the plot and principal characters, along with a recommended recording. Light relief within each entry is provided under the headings Not Many People Know That (Did you know that Puccini was arrested as a spy by the British authorities in Malta?), Crush Bar Gambit (The Pearl Fishers as "an elaborate pathico-troilist fantasy, with an eternal triangle at its center which is distinctly scalene" anyone?), plus a smattering of topical cartoons. Packed with essential information, this book is undoubtedly an entertaining introduction to this most misunderstood of art forms.