A MAD LOVE An Introduction to Opera

NEW YORK TIMES critic Vivien Schweitzer invites listeners to understand and appreciate--and perhaps join her in--her passion for opera. Narrator Lisa Flanagan captures Schweitzer's enthusiasm for her subject. Flanagan's light, upbeat tone draws us into the opera world as the author explains key musical terminology for beginners, voice types and vocal ranges as well as the enormous talents throughout history, production values, and recent technical innovations. Listeners experience a chronological tour of the genre, including the works of noted composers, from the first successful opera, Monteverdi's L'ORFEO in 1607, through the classical period (CARMEN, RIGOLETTO), to the contemporary composers writing today. Flanagan is energetic, breezy, and positive while delivering Schweitzer's premise that opera is not dead but is a continuously changing and evolving art form. Worthwhile listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2018]