• The book is an edited and illustrated version of the original one and includes 15 or more unique illustrations which are relevant to its content.• The operas described here are not all great compositions: Some of them are hopelessly poor. Those of Balfe and Flotow are included because they were expressions of popular taste when our grandfathers enjoyed going to the opera. The book contents: BALFE: THE BOHEMIAN GIRL, BEETHOVEN: FIDELIO, BERLIOZ: THE DAMNATION OF FAUST, BIZET: CARMEN, DEKOVEN: ROBIN HOOD, FLOTOW: MARTHA, HUMPERDINCK: HÄNSEL AND GRETEL, MASCAGNI: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, MEYERBEER: THE PROPHET, MOZART: THE MAGIC FLUTE, SULLIVAN: PINAFORE, VERDI: RIGOLETTO, IL TROVATORE, AÏDA, WAGNER: THE NIBELUNG RING, THE MASTERSINGERS OF NUREMBERG, LOHENGRIN