Here is an excerpt of whatThe Good Opera Guidehas to say about Cilea'sAdriana Lecouvreur:';The one about the star of stage and screen whose rival sends her a bouquet of poison gas violets. She sniffs it: snuffs it.'The Good Opera Guideis not only for regular operagoers but also for people who are new to the world of opera, or indeed people who want to bluff their way through a performance! It is written with humor and is entertaining as well as informative. Where else would you find a ';dagger count' forLa Gioconda, and haveHansel and Gretelcategorized as a ';Gingerbread Opera'?FromAdriana Lecouvreurto Mozart'sDie Zauberflte, for each opera, Sir Denis details the plot and cast of characters, awarding stars to parts that are ';worth looking out for,' ';really good,' or, occasionally, ';stunning.' He goes on to tell the history of each opera and its early reception. Finally, each work is graded from alpha to gamma, and Sir Denis has no qualms about voicing his opinion. The guide also presents brief biographies of the great composers, conductors, and singers. A glossary of musical terms is included, as well as ';Operatica,' or the essential elements of opera, from the proper place and style of the audience's applause (and boos) to the use of subtitles.

Here is an excerpt of whatThe Good Opera Guidehas to say about Cilea'sAdriana Lecouvreur:';The one about the star of stage and screen whose rival sends her a bouquet of poison gas violets. She sniffs it: snuffs it.'The Good Opera Guideis not only for regular operagoers but also for people who are new to the world of opera, or indeed people who want to bluff their way through a performance! It is written with humor and is entertaining as well as informative. Where else would you find a ';dagger count' forLa Gioconda, and haveHansel and Gretelcategorized as a ';Gingerbread Opera'?FromAdriana Lecouvreurto Mozart'sDie Zauberflte, for each opera, Sir Denis details the plot and cast of characters, awarding stars to parts that are ';worth looking out for,' ';really good,' or, occasionally, ';stunning.' He goes on to tell the history of each opera and its early reception. Finally, each work is graded from alpha to gamma, and Sir Denis has no qualms about voicing his opinion. The guide also presents brief biographies of the great composers, conductors, and singers. A glossary of musical terms is included, as well as ';Operatica,' or the essential elements of opera, from the proper place and style of the audience's applause (and boos) to the use of subtitles.