• Introductory essay from scholar and dramaturge David Levin surveys contemporary trends in opera performance and their intellectual and cultural contexts
• Each entry includes a full plot synopsis, cast list, information about the first production and a discussion of the opera's history
• Includes recent operas such as The Death of Klinghoffer^, Handmaid's Tale, and Little Women, which have received considerable press attention and, in some instances, have generated controversy
• Each of the entries is written by a top expert on the opera or composer
• Clearly and engagingly written, with invaluable tools such as a glossary and several indices (role names; arias and ensembles; and operas by composer)