"Pogue is a wonderful teacher. . . . He can teach anybody." —Gay Talese, bestselling author of Honor Thy Father Includes lively summaries of 74 popular operas "Scott Speck is a great communicator of classical music." —David Styers, American Symphony Orchestra League If you think opera is only for snobs, think again! This friendly guide brings opera down to earth, demystifying opera–speak, walking you through opera’s greatest hits, and explaining what all the fuss is really about –unforgettable tunes, racy plots, eye–popping spectacles, and fat ladies singing their hearts out. Discover: Opera lingo explained in plain English Opera’s top sopranos and tenors The story of opera over the centuries Fascinating summaries of famous operas Tips on attending an opera All this on the enhanced audio CD: 60 minutes of opera highlights, including excerpts from EMI Recordings of . . . Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Verdi’s A Masked Ball, Puccini’s La Bohème, Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, and Bizet’s Carmen Interactive features, including a history of opera with pictures and an excerpt from a Verdi score that you can follow as the music plays