Opera Wars

Inside the World of Opera and the Battles for Its Future

By: Caitlin Vincent

Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya

Blunt, irreverent, and at times wittily subversive, Opera Wars spotlights opera’s colorful and sometimes warring personalities, increasingly fierce controversies over content, and the battles being waged for its economic future.

Drawing on interviews with dozens of opera insiders—as well as her own experience as an award-winning librettist, trained vocalist, opera company director, and arts commentator—Caitlin Vincent deftly unravels clichés and presumptions, exposing such debates as how much fidelity is owed to long-dead opera composers whose plots often stir racial and gender sensitivities, whether there’s any cure for typecasting that leaves talented performers out of work and other performers chained to the same roles, and what explains the bizarre kowtowing of opera companies to the demands of traditionalist patrons.

Vincent never shrinks from depicting the industry’s top-to-bottom messiness and its stubborn resistance to change. Yet, like a lover who can’t quite break away, she always comes back to her veneration for the artform and in these pages stirringly evokes those moments on stage that can be counted on to make ardent fans of the most skeptical.

Critic reviews

"Jennifer Jill Araya’s bright tone and dynamic pacing pair well with Vincent’s accessible prose to engage listeners. The audiobook is not quite as dramatic as its title implies, serving instead as an introduction to the art form that highlights occasional industry controversies. However, Vincent does make a strong case for opera as a living genre, arguing that newcomers should join the audience and that aficionados should make room for newer works. Vincent champions operas beyond the European canon, whose famous Italian and German titles Araya pronounces with musicality and accuracy. Araya catches the humor in Vincent’s perspective on the supposedly serious opera world. A light, fun, and informative listening experience."

A great accessible overview of this art form

This is a very enjoyable panoramic view of the world of opera, it’s history and more importantly it’s current status and challenges. An excellent, very expressive reader. The author carefully balances the narrative with her own personal experience and insights.

Opera Wars

I truly enjoyed this book! The fact that Vincent was a performer and had so many experiences to relate makes this a great read! I recommend it enthusiastically! I bought it on kindle and I just ordered a print copy! I hope that Caitlin Vincent writes more books! Bravo!!

Captivating!

This book not only answered every question I ever had about the world of opera but did it in a fantastically entertaining way. I think even people who've never had an interest in opera would enjoy it! The writing on the subject itself was anything but dry, but the narrator's delivery was amazing as well. It was like having a personal conversation with the writer. Absolutely fabulous, I couldn't recommend it more.