Reading Project

Operas & Musicals

  1. The Opera Hater's Guide to Opera:  This charming, lively, authoritative guide will take any novice through all the steps necessary to becoming an opera buff.  Read chapters 3 through 12.

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  2. Encyclopedia Britannica: The History of Music:  After entering the web page, please scroll downthe screen to find the table of contents.  Then click all the links titled Opera to read articles about the development of opera.  These articles are Opera of the Baroque Era, Opera of the Classical Period, and Opera of the Romantic Period.
  1. OperaGlass: Synopses & OperaGlass: Opera Composers:  These two links are respectively an index of synopses of operas and an index of over 300 opera composers, with complete opera lists and links.  Choose three best-known operas by different opera composers introduced in The Opera Hater's Guide to Opera and then read the synopses of the operas and their composers.
  1. Operas and Composers: A Pronunciation Guide &  Opera Terms: Pronunciation Guide: Check out these two guides to help you prepare for the project presentation.
  1. All Music Guide: Andrew Lloyd Webber:  After entering the site, please key in "Andrew Lloyd Webber" in the search dialogue box to retrieve and read an article about Andrew Lloyd Webber and his musicals.  (Note that the article is divided into two web pages.  You have to click the read more link for the second web page of the article.)  Also click the following links listed under the heading Related Artists to understand the roots of and influences on Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals: George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and The Beatles.

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  2. The Search Beat: Broadway Musicals and Musical Theatre Directory:  Find the following musicals on this directory to read about their stories and inspiration:  Chicago--the Musical, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Miss Saigon, and The Phantom of the Opera.

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  3. Encyclopedia Britannica: Broadway Musical:  This search result page provides you relevant information to Broadway musicals.

Other Links

  1. The Aria Database:  The Aria Database is a diverse collection of information on over 1000 operatic arias. Designed for singers and non-singers alike, the Database includes translations and aria texts of most arias as well as a collection of MIDI files of operatic arias and ensembles.

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  2. All Music Guide: Opera:  This page provides music maps that show the development of opera in the history of music.  It also includes a list of mot frequently accessed opera artists.

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  3. American Operas, 1841-1997:  This site gives a comprehensive look at operas written by Americans from 1841 to 1997, including such names as Scott Joplin, Deems Taylor, George Gershwin, Roger Sessions, Virgil Thompson, William Grant Still, Gian Carlo Menotti, Leonard Bernstein and many others. Significant dates are given, as well as synopses of selected operas and discographies. It is a valuable source for this part of American musical history.

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  4.  Giuseppe Verdi:  This promotional site for Parma in Italy gives a very brief biography of Verdi, a giant among operatic composers. Through links it gives a more inclusive chronology of his life and over twenty photos and prints of the composer and Verdian locales.

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  5. The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber:  This is the official Andrew Lloyd Webber page.

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  6. Playbill Online:  Visit this site for musical theatre news, listings and tickets online, plus features, industry information and more.