The illustrations are varied; the design for the entrance of the first "Queen of the Night" is here, along with portraits of composers and a host of production photos, some of them more than a century old. There's a revealing photo of the Three Tenors and a selection of Caruso's self-caricatures. Somerset-Ward does not exclude an opera from consideration simply because it was an atrocity, so there are pictures here from both classic productions and not a few, well, flops. The book's chronological arrangement, from the debut of "Il Dramma per Musica" in the late 16th century to late-20th-century productions (including a chapter on popular musical theater), exposes readers to opera's development over its 400-year history.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's foreword to the book is an added treat for her fans. In it, she sums up the experience of The Story of Opera: "Turning the pages of this book, you will read about many remarkable people, and many weird and wonderful happenings, but you will also discover, I think, why opera is, and always has been, such an exciting phenomenon. Its story is, in its own right, a wonderful and enthralling drama."

Whether you love Mozart or Puccini; Caruso, Callas, or Pavarotti; here's a book sure to delight both longtime opera lovers and those new to this most dramatic of all musical forms.

Published on the 400th anniversary of the first performance of the very first opera, this richly illustrated volume presents a wealth of performance photographs, stage designs, and paintings. It brings the history of opera to life through the individual stories of the hundreds of people who created it-composers, librettists, impresarios, conductors, directors, and, of course, singers.

The book is organized chronologically, with sections devoted to the great Italian, German, French, English, and Russian operas and artists. The final chapter surveys the many figures-directors such as Visconti, Zeffirelli, and Wieland Wagner; performers such as Domingo, Sills, Sutherland, and Norman; and artists, from David Hockney to Robert Wilson-who have brought opera to a broad new audience in the late 20th century.

Richard Somerset-Ward is former head of Music & Arts Programming for BBC Television, where he was responsible for many opera broadcasts and recordings. He is currently an independent writer and television producer in New York.