At last, there is an easy-to-read, entertaining book which explains the often-complicated stories of the great operas.

These are stories from great literature (the ones that everyone should know), with all the "fun stuff" --Wicked Witches, Dragons, Beautiful Princesses, Evil Queens and Knights in Shining Armour.

But... This book is meaningful on a deeper level:

It is a Reference Work for generations to treasure, containing:

• Stories of the world's best loved operas- Dramatic! Readable! Fun!
• Easy-to-read phonetic guide to pronunciation
• Notes on Composers, important dates and background information
• 30 Sensitive and expressive Original Illustrations by Mark Roberts
• Dozens of Historical Photographs
• 288 information-packed pages
• Rich, burgundy-red library leather binding, lavished with gold
• Introduction to the the combined arts of opera-

  	Symphony Voice Dance	Literature Scene Design Costumes

• History of opera and comprehensive index

International author and musicologist Ariane Comstock has sung and lectured for opera companies and music education programs across the U.S.A. A popular columnist for numerous journals, Comstock has hosted television and radio shows on the arts. Fluent in five languages, she has translated fifteen operas, plus the forthcoming Nabokov/Shchedrin ,"Lolita".

"Ariane Csonka Comstock proves in the deed that she is the best qualified to write,'The Young Person's Guide to the Opera', which one hopes will be cherished in every library."

William F. Buckley, Jr.

(Author, cultural icon, and publisher of "The National Review")