Of this book, which is not a discography but a critical work on the development of operatic interpretation and the comparative merits of opera recordings, the author writes in his Preface: "This is a critical review of a near-century's worth of opera records, comprehensive but not all-inclusive, designed to monitor the development of performing stylistics even as it measures the quality of the performances themselves. Fine .
Keywords: MUSIC; MUSIC HISTORY; MUSIC CRITCISM; OPERA; HISTORY OF OPERA; OPERA RECORDS; OPERA RECORDINGS; ETHAN MORDDEN.