"An erudite, instructive and unpretentious guide."--Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph "A loving and expert guide to the great operas in the repertoire, written from many years of experience. A must for all opera lovers young and old. I love it."--DAME JOAN SUTHERLAND About the Author Charles Osborne is a well-known writer, critic, and opera specialist who has been London music critic of the New York Times and chief drama critic of the London Daily Telegraph. The author of many books on operas, he lectures regularly in the United States, attends the major opera festivals around the world, sits on award panels, and broadcasts extensively.