Stories from the Operas: Volume I - With Short Biographies of the Composers

From the book’s Preface:

The twenty stories contained in this first volume are taken
from among the most popular Grand Operas constantly per-
formed at Covent Garden and Drury Lane Opera House; the
object being to present all the incidents of each libretto in
the clear, readable form of a short story. This, it is hoped,
may fill a much felt want, since many, even truly musical
people, have frequently only very vague ideas of the actual
stories contained in their favourite operas.

Contents of Volume I:

Wagner:
– Lohengrin – 1850
– Tannhauser – 1845
– The Flying Dutchman – 1843
– Tristan and Isolda – 1865

– The Nibelung’s Ring – Wagner – 1876
– The Rhine Gold
– The Valkyrie
– Siegfried
– The Dusk of the Gods

Verdi:
– IL Trovatore – 1853
– Rigoletto – 1851

Mozart:
– Figaro – 1786
– Don Juan – 1787

Gounod:
– Faust – 1859

Wallace:
– Maritana – 1845

Flotow:
– Martha – 1847

Bizet:
– Carmen – 1875

Meyerbeer:
– Robet the Devil – 1831

Balfe:
– The Bohemian Girl 1843

Auber:
– Fra Diavolo – 1830

Ambroise Thomas:
– Mignon -1866