GRAND OPERA: THE STORY OF THE MET

One of the world's greatest opera companies, the Metropolitan Opera, is the subject of this superb, comprehensive history

Tracing both the tumultuous behind-the-scenes and performance history of this famed institution, opera afficianados Charles and Mirella Affron tell how the Met became and remains a powerful actor on the global cultural scene. Bringing to life the many larger-than-life personalities and iconic singers through the decades, the book also explores the choices and evolution of the repertoire, from the opening bars of Faust to the recent controversial production of Wagner's Ring cycle. Spanning the decades between the Gilded Age and the age of new media, the story of the Met ends with tipping its hat to the hugely successful Live in HD simulcasts and other 21st century innovations.

Grand Opera's appeal extends far beyond the large circle of opera enthusiasts, as it explores the Met in the broad context of ever-shifting national and international issues and events.