The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Opera.

by William Berger; forward by Placido Domingo. Perigee Books/Penguin Putnam (375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014), 2002. 221 pp., $13.95.

This all-too-short book is for anyone interested in opera, from the dilettante (Are there any such?) to the fanatic. The foreword alone is worth the price of this book. Mr. Domingo very concisely states the overall problem with the lack of music in our schools in a page and a half.

The meat-and-potatoes portion of the book not only contains a very well done commentary on opera in general, but it is also a good read.

Chapter headings state exactly what is in each chapter. Chapter One is called, "What Is Opera?" I have never read a better definition of opera than this chapter. In Chapter Two, "The Story of Opera," you don't need to take a history of opera class at the graduate level to understand what most of us will want to know. This chapter contains all of the basics and is entertaining, too.

Chapter Three, "Varieties of Opera," requires no explanation--it has them all. This is followed by "Opera Deconstructed." If you want to understand the various kinds of voices, arias, ensemble types, orchestral uses and so forth, then this is the chapter. I thought I had a fair understanding of most of this information, but, quite frankly, I learned quite a bit. Berger's anecdotal style is very helpful.

The three chapters that follow cover composers, performers and the operas themselves. These three chapters are succinct passages about the main protagonists in each area. None of them could be considered complete, but all contain the most important ones. The anecdotal style again makes for very entertaining reading.

Chapter Eight identifies key operas available on CD. This list, ...