A Mad Love: An Introduction to Opera (Hardcover)
By Vivien Schweitzer

There are few art forms as visceral and emotional as opera – and few that are as daunting for newcomers. A Mad Love offers a spirited and indispensable tour of opera’s eclectic past and present, beginning with Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in 1607, generally considered the first successful opera, through classics like Carmen and La Bohème, and spanning to Brokeback Mountain and The Death of Klinghoffer in recent years. 

Musician and critic Vivien Schweitzer acquaints readers with the genre’s most important composers and some of its most influential performers, recounts its long-standing debates, and explains its essential terminology.

Today, opera is everywhere, from the historic houses of major opera companies to movie theaters and public parks to offbeat performance spaces and our earbuds. A Mad Love is an essential book for anyone who wants to appreciate this living, evolving art form in all its richness.

About the Author
Vivien Schweitzer is a writer and pianist based in New York. She worked for ten years as a classical music and opera critic for the New York Times. She has also written for the BBC, the Moscow Times, and The Economist

“Finally, a book that shines a spotlight on opera, making it accessible and relevant without dumbing it down. A Mad Love shows why opera is an art form for everyone.” – Lawrence Brownlee, tenor

“Dynamic. Passionate. Searing. ALIVE! [The author] captures everything I love about this often-misunderstood art form. She connects the stories and musical treasures from across the centuries of opera to go straight to the heart of why opera is addictive and life-affirming.” – Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano

“A Mad Love provides such a breezy yet thorough introduction to opera that die-hard fans may want to read it first before gifting it to nieces or nephews. An experienced critic, Schweitzer has a knack for concision, and she covers plenty of ground here, hitting major points about repertoire while tucking in musical terminology, historical developments, cultural movements, and the social aspects of operagoing.” – Opera News

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1st edition (September 18, 2018)
• Dimensions: 5.88” W x 8.63” H

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