This book is packed full of information that the opera buff cannot be without. It explains technical terms, outlines the plots, together with anecdotes of famous performances, both light-hearted and dramatic. There are brief biographies of singers, conductors, composers and those behind the scenes and explanations linking them to show how they all combine to create the operative experience. Mary Hamilton is the daughter of a founder of the Welsh National Opera Company, and is a former Development Manager of the English National Opera. Illustrated with black-&-white photographs of scenes from famous operas.