Weep, Shudder, Die: A Guide to Loving Opera

“Over the course of many animated conversations, I have learned an awful lot about opera from Robert Levine. I hear his voice throughout this book – erudite, generous, musicianly, almost impossibly well-informed and often hilariously funny.” – Tim Page, Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic and author of Parallel Plays

“I couldn’t imagine a finer or livelier guide through the world of opera than Robert Levine, for newcomers and crazed fans alike. He distills a lifetime of passion and insight into this immensely enjoyable survey, and with the right comic touch to make you wonder how opera ever seemed intimidating.” – Thomas May, author of Decoding Wagner

Weep, Shudder, Die is an insightful and accessible guide to the grand art of opera for both new and longtime fans.

For too long opera was relegated to high society and perceived as stuffy and remote. But now that has changed. A new generation of opera lovers has emerged, inviting a wave of extraordinary new productions and revivals the world over.

Robert Levine has written an illuminating guide for this growing audience. With his signature wit, he examines the most famous composers and operas, from Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen to Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, giving a sense of each opera’s history and celebrating its enduring greatness.

Weep, Shudder, Die will inspire anyone who has ever been curious about opera but never knew where to start to discover one of the world’s most entertaining and satisfying art forms.