Masterpieces of World Opera

For connoisseurs and lovers of opera, this book is a true literary monument and an artistic rarity. Its foundation is the legendary "Meloman's Guide," created by the prominent public figure, famous theatergoer, and philanthropist David Margolin in 1908. However, the book has not lost relevance even today, as most great operas were written before the beginning of the 20th century. For the novice theatergoer, this book is the best introduction to the vast world of operatic art: in addition to the librettos of more than 60 great operas, it includes information about their first performances on the stages of Western and Russian theaters, specifying the vocal composition and characters, quotes from arias, and brief critical-biographical notes about the composers.
The true adornment of the book is the sketches of decorations and costumes, portraits of composers, and illustrations of scenes from operas, created by outstanding Russian and foreign artists, including: I. Bilibin, A. Golovin, V. Vasnetsov, I. Repin, E. Ponomarev, A. Rackham, B. Shaw, E. Bayard, I. Lecont and many other masters of the 18th-20th centuries.