STANDARD STORIES FROM THE OPERAS

Combined Volume, Gladys Davidson, T.Werner 1944.

In this new combined edition of Standard Stories from the Operas, the entire series contained in Volumes 1 and 2 have now been reset and issued in one combined omnibus volume.

This has entailed the revising and the re-arrangement of the whole collection. The author has, therefore, taken the opportunity of re-writing many of the longer stories in the earlier series in order to bring these into line with the more concise style adopted in the later stories comprised in Volume 2. At the same time, the short Biographies of Composers have likewise has been carefully revised and brought up-to-date; and the Alphabetical Index of Operas has been improved by the addition of much useful information regarding librettists and dates of production.

As explained in earlier editions, the subject of each opera selected is presented in the readable form of a short story, the various incidents being given exactly as they occur in the libretto. This, it is felt, makes for a more complete understanding and enjoyment of the music than can be gained from a mere synopsis of the plot.

The long continued appreciation of this author’s work in this direction has proved that the short story medium consistently adopted is a useful and popular one. It will be noticed that the works of our own British composers have been dealt with; and that are also included the stories of a considerable number of the more popular Russian operas, in which increasing interest is deservedly being taken.

 It is hoped that in it’s newly-revised and more compact form this representative collection of 154 Opera stories will continue it’s good work of not only familiarizing lovers of music with the subject matter of Grand Opera but also of providing the general reader with a budget of dramatic tales of infinite variety and interest.

The dust jacket has split into two parts, has large chips at the top and base of the spine, has splits and rubs and is very worn, although the front cover picture is intact. The covers are sunned around the edges and have stains and some movement in them. The 968 pages are clean and tightly bound, although a section in the centre has some superficial creasing. The illustrations (Illustrated in colour and tone by L.R.Brightwell and others) are superb.