Second Edition.  First published in 1996 to great critical and popular acclaim, "The Grove Book of Operas" brings together synopses and descriptions of over 250 leading operas, complemented by more than one hundred illustrations and halftones.  Each succinct yet insightful entry is written by a leading authority on the opera and includes a full synopsis of the plot, a cast list, a note on the singers in the original production, and information on the origins of the work and its literary and social background.  Includes 95 b/w photos.  Paper, 768 p.