William Berger

NPR The Curious Listener's Guide to Opera

by William Berger & Placido Domingo

Major composers including Mozart, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, and Strauss * Legendary singers from the great divas to the Three Tenors * What to look for and listen to at the opera * The history of opera and why...

Puccini Without Excuses: A Refreshing Reassessment of the World's Most Popular Composer

by William Berger

Puccini is the most beloved composer of opera in the world: one quarter of all opera performances in the U.S. are of his operas, his music pervades movie soundtracks, and his plots have infiltrated our popular...

Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera

by William Berger

Everything you could possibly know about Verdi and his operas, from the brilliant and humorous author of Wagner Without Fear.

If you want to know why La traviata was actually a flop at its premiere in 1853, it's...

Wagner Without Fear: Learning to Love--and Even Enjoy--Opera's Most Demanding Genius

by William Berger

Do you cringe when your opera-loving friends start raving about the latest production of Tristan? Do you feel faint just thinking about the six-hour performance of Parsifal you were given tickets to? Does your...