The Metropolitan Opera: Stories of the Great Operas

John W. Freeman's two volume set represents the best "plots only" collection of opera synopses available. All the operas are summarized in sparing, unambiguous language. Some operas are summarized so succinctly that too much mystery remains. Freeman provides helpful biographical material on each composer represented. Describing this collection as a two-volume set is somewhat misleading. It is, in effect, a book and its sequel. Volume 2 was published several years after the first to fill in some holes. For this reason, operas from one composer may be divided disproportionately between both volumes, and neither volume indexes the contents of the other. Consolidating both volumes would enhance navigation and presumably reduce the cost, which is without question the least desirable feature of this competent set.