THE OPERAGOER'S GUIDE

    
REVIEW by Willard Manus

Father M. Owen's pocket-sized handbook, THE OPERAGOER'S GUIDE--ONE HUNDRED STORIES AND COMMENTARIES (Amadeus Press), is an indispensable reference work for both opera novices and aficionados alike. Owen not only sketches the plotlines of a hundred operas by the likes of Verdi, Mozart, Puccini and Wagner, but lists when and where they first were performed, followed by a personal assessment of each work and by recommended recordings (and a short glossary of terms). Owen's love--and knowledge--of opera are impressive.