"Throughout the history of opera, if not quite continuously, there have been some who have taken opera's dramatic potential seriously and others who have not. It seems to be the case that over the last thirty years Opera as Drama has helped keep the serious position alive. I hope it will continue to do so in this new edition."-- From the foreword to the new edition. Passionate, witty, brilliant, Opera as Drama, although published over thirty years ago, remains one of the most controversial, thought-provoking, and entertaining works of operatic criticism ever written. For this new edition, the first since the book's original publication, the author has prepared a new foreword and provided emendations and additions that take into account some of the critical reaction to the book. He has also added a new chapter on operatic criticism. Updated yet still retaining the verve of the original, this new edition will be indispensable reading for all students and lovers of opera [Publisher description]