Opera Wars
Inside the World of Opera and the Battles for Its Future
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3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher
£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
Opera Wars
Narrated by:
Jennifer Jill Araya
Buy Now for £12.77
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Narrated by:
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Jennifer Jill Araya
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By:
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Caitlin Vincent
Drawing on interviews with dozens of opera insiders—as well as her own experience as an award-winning librettist, trained vocalist, opera company director, and arts commentator—Caitlin Vincent “gives us the insider’s backstage view” (Financial Times), deftly unraveling clichés and presumptions. She exposes such debates as how much fidelity is owed to long-dead opera composers whose plots often stir racial and gender sensitivities, whether there’s any cure for typecasting that leaves talented performers out of work and other performers chained to the same roles, and what explains the bizarre kowtowing of opera companies to the demands of traditionalist patrons.
Vincent never shrinks from depicting the industry’s top-to-bottom messiness and its stubborn resistance to change. Yet, like a lover who can’t quite break away, she always comes back to her veneration for the artform, and in these pages—"suitable for young operaphiles-in-training and budding sopranos alike” (The Wall Street Journal)—she stirringly evokes those moments on stage that can be counted on to make ardent fans of the most skeptical.
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Critic reviews
"Jennifer Jill Araya’s bright tone and dynamic pacing pair well with Vincent’s accessible prose to engage listeners. The audiobook is not quite as dramatic as its title implies, serving instead as an introduction to the art form that highlights occasional industry controversies. However, Vincent does make a strong case for opera as a living genre, arguing that newcomers should join the audience and that aficionados should make room for newer works. Vincent champions operas beyond the European canon, whose famous Italian and German titles Araya pronounces with musicality and accuracy. Araya catches the humor in Vincent’s perspective on the supposedly serious opera world. A light, fun, and informative listening experience."
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