Book Review: "The Viking Opera Guide"

For the dilettante seeking "light and browsable" fodder, there are so many books available that I'd scarcely know what to suggest first, albeit the ultimate work in that vein might well be editor Andras Batta's somewhat obscure Opera: Composers, Works, Performers, which was originally published in German in 1999 but subsequently appeared in a year-2000 English edition (ISBN 3829035713). The latter is a humongous, profusely and colorfully illustrated "coffee-table" hardcover (measuring 12 x 9.5 x 2 inches and weighing over eight pounds) that I'm pleased to own and peruse now and again. However, "overwhelming" though it is, it's not a veritable "encyclopedia" or comprehensive "reference" covering virtually all operatic composers (and their foremost operas). For the latter sort of book, you must look elsewhere, and the subject of this review is one of three noteworthy options that I'll discuss.

Deciding which "encyclopedia" or "opera reference" to buy involves several "trade offs". On the one hand, an uncompromising opera enthusiast seeking absolute comprehensiveness could search for a good deal (e.g., nearly $200 via Amazon Marketplace) on The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, which comprises four imposing softcover volumes, each of which weighs around 6.5 pounds and measures about 10.5 inches high by 7 inches wide by 2.25 inches thick. (You'll give your wrist a bit of a workout every time you grab one of those tomes).

On the other hand, there's the subject of this review, The Viking Opera Guide (ISBN: 0670812927), which was published in 1993. This somewhat wieldier, single-volume hardcover measures about 9.5 x 6.3 x 2.4 inches and weighs about 4.2 pounds.

The Viking Opera Guide is significantly more pleasing than its only true single-volume successor, the renamed New Penguin Opera Guide (ISBN-10: 0140514759), which is a circa 2001 edition (of the original 1993 "Viking") not to be confused with varioius intervening "abridgements" whose titles included the word "Penguin" but not the word "New".

For both the "Viking" and the "New Penguin", the arrangement of the entries is alphabetical according to composers' surnames (hence, to find a synopsis of an opera by Joseph Haydn [yes, he wrote some reasonably respectable operas!], you'd look in the "H" section for "Haydn"). Typically, a separate biography of the composer is initially provided, followed by an assortment of brief synopses of that composer's most famous or noteworthy operas.

The 2001 "New Penguin" edition adds a modicum of relatively recent operas (and their composers), but, alas, it loses somewhat more than a modicum of older (and relatively obscure) operas and composers.

Worse still, there are nowhere near as many illustrations in the 2001 "New Penguin" as in this original, 1993 "Viking" edition. (Note: essentially none of the illustrations were carried over from the "Viking" to the "New Penguin." Thus, the illustrations are totally different in either edition.

And the text (font) is somewhat darker and easier-to-read in this original "Viking" edition than in the subsequent "New Penguin." [Note: The size of the font is rather small in both editions.]

Add to that the fact that this "Viking" (unlike its "New Penguin" successor) is a hardcover edition (including a dignified, dark-blue dust jacket featuring gilt lettering, not to mention a handy, built-in, blue-ribbon bookmark), and you begin to see why I really like this "1993" better than the "2001" paperback, which is just as large and fat and, ironically, feels somewhat uncomfortably heavier for browsing.

As for cost, well, both the "Viking" and its "New Penguin" successor have gone out of print, and their respective prices (in the "second-hand" marketplace) have significantly increased. As of this writing, Amazon Marketplace's lowest price for a used copy of the "New Penguin" is nearly fifty dollars. And their price for a used copy of this "Viking" (in merely "Good" condition) is a whopping $125.00. That makes me glad that I searched elsewhere last year and stumbled into a "steal of a deal" (via a book dealer in Oregon) on my "Like New" copy for $20. If you'd like to own your own copy, I suggest that you search every used bookstore for the best deal available. And be patient; sooner or later a more reasonably priced copy might appear. Or not. (Such is the nature of the "collectibles" market.)

Regarding the aforementioned New Grove Dictionary of Opera, I also own and enthusiastically recommend it (provided you have the requisite money and shelf space). Unlike this single-volume "Viking," the four-volume "Grove" covers not only "operas and their composers" but also operatic terminology, performers, venues, and much else.

Still, assuming that one's specific objective is to look up "concise yet (fairly) thorough" articles about operas and their composers (i.e., "opera synopses" and "composer biographies"), this single-volume "Viking" gives the four-volume "New Grove" a rather respectable run for the proverbial money. And its wieldier configuration, outward beauty, sensible layout, and astute prose collectively impart a unique appeal, earning this venerable volume an esteemed place upon any opera devotee's bookshelf.

Unlike the "New Grove", with this "Viking" you typically need only look up a given composer's surname to find both his biography and synopses for (at least some of) his operas. By contrast, with the "New Grove" you'd typically begin by looking up a given composer's surname to find discussion of his life and times that typically fills at least one full page. Subsequently, you'd need to look up synopses for that composer's various operas in separate sections (typically other volumes) of the "New Grove". This can entail significantly more "searching and browsing" than the "Viking" requires; however, you'd generally find that the scope of each biography and/or synopsis is at least somewhat greater in the "New Grove" than in this "Viking".

Let me illustrate what I mean by citing but one exemplary, "minor" composer of opera.

With "The New Grove", while reading the biography of the not-so-popular (but musicologically noteworthy) early baroque composer Stefano Landi, you will learn that his most significant opera is Sant' Alessio. But to learn all the details regarding that particular opera, you must set aside "Volume Two" ("E--Lom") and the discussion of Landi [which, in its own right, already includes considerable information about this and his other operas' respective features and significance] and grab "Volume Four" ("Roe--Z") to thumb through the latter's 1,342 pages till you reach the "S" section and, finally, the article on the opera Sant' Alessio itself. This article comprises six paragraphs or about one full page (not including a sizable captioned photo of Alan Curtis' 1980 production at Innsbruck); moreover, it comprises a brief introduction detailing the opera's inception date and background; a reasonably in-depth synopsis of its story; and a rather thorough discussion of its themes; history; musicological significance; etc.

By contrast, with "The Viking" you need only look up "Landi" to conveniently find both a "biography" and two subsequent synopses in the same section of the book (comprising one and a half pages). But whereas the "New Grove" provides a "Landi" biography encompassing an entire page of small text (arranged in two columns), the relatively compact "Viking" provides a mere paragraph of biographical information (likewise small text arranged in two columns); and it provides a modest two-paragraph synopsis for Landi's Sant' Alessio (plus a single paragraph for one other Landi opera, La morte d"Orfeo--for which the "New Grove" provides a three-paragraph synopsis.). [I'd be remiss, however, not to to add that this "Viking" does include a sizable, captioned, black-and-white illustration by Francois Collignon (c. 1640) of a scene from Act II of Sant' Alessio. The inclusion of any "graphic" for such an obscure opera--especially in a single-volume "encyclopedia"--is impressive.]

Although the scope of each "composer biography" or "opera synopsis" in this "Viking" generally is not so great as what you can find in the "New Grove", the overall scope of the "Viking" is, nonetheless, admirably extensive. Whereas the four-volume "New Grove" covers over 2,900 composers and over 1,800 operas (from the late 16th century through modernity) in its 5,448 pages, this single-volume "Viking" covers over 1,500 operas (by an unspecified but large number of composers) in its 1,328 pages. To my knowledge there is no other single-volume work (aside from the subsequent, aforementioned "New Penguin" edition of this "Viking") that even remotely rivals such comprehensiveness. Amanda Holden and her team of contributing writers merit kudos for creating such a noteworthy tome in the history of opera-reference publications.

Despite the exceedingly lengthy list of contributing authors, the seamless prose is of high quality and appears targeted to intelligent laypersons rather than musicians or academics (not that the latter are likely to be unduly disappointed with any of the content). The vocabulary is decidedly adult, though precocious high school students should likewise find this a fully accessible reference.

My copy of The Viking Opera Guide harmoniously nestles on my shelf between The New Grove Dictionary of Opera and (the first edition of) The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Whenever I want the ultimate degree of information about an operatic figure or work (not to mention musical terminology, performers, or venues), I reach for a "Grove" volume. But whenever I want a "quicker yet fairly thorough" treatment of a composer or composition, I reach for my handy "Viking". For any aficionado wanting comprehensive coverage of operatic composers and works in a single volume, the 1993 "Viking" is the best choice; and its renamed (and modestly revised) incarnation of 2001--The New Penguin Opera Guide--is a reasonable next-best choice.