Covent Garden 1947. After acknowledging the applause following her spectacular debut performance of Salome, Bulgarian soprano Ljuba Welitsch made her way back to her dressing-room. As she was changing her costume there came a knock on the door: a small group of male admirers had gathered outside to pay their compliments. Taken completely by surprise the startled diva, whose English at the time was, to say the least, somewhat limited, called out: "Don't come in yet poys: I'm still dressed!" It's anecdotes like these that add sparkle and fun to the topsy-turvy world of opera - hence the title. The author has spent about three years collecting more than three hundred anecdotes about operas, singers, composers, conductors and impresarios. Arranged from A to Z for easy reference, the reader will find an amusing account of the man who, after seeing a performance of Aida in Parma, wrote to Verdi demanding his money back; stories about Callas, Caruso and other celebrated singers as well as such composers as Rossini, Puccini and Straus (not a typo: it's spelt with one s); about the World's Greatest Tenor and the various claimants to that illustrious but contentious title; composers who sang; the hidden dangers of opera in translation; prima donnas and their tantrums; and the activities of that unseen body, the claque. If you'd like to test your knowledge of matters operatic check the opera quiz. There's also the story of a little fox terrier, who despite his humble pedigree, can claim to be the world's most famous dog, mainly thanks to opera.
About the Author: Gerry Zwirn was born in the UK but spent much of his adult life in Italy, where he worked as a journalist, writer and technical translator. During this period he was a member of the Foreign Press Club in Rome and covered assignments for British and American publications. He then emigrated to South Africa where, among other activities, he founded the Johannesburg-based Bel Canto Club and was a guest speaker on Classic fm radio. He has lectured at the music departments of various universities, including Rhodes, Cape Town and Johannesburg, on subjects ranging from the operas of Verdi to the great singers of the past. He is a member of the American Institute for Verdi Studies based in New York. His previous book on opera, titled Stranded Stories from the Operas, was published about nine years ago. He is married and now resides in the UK, thus completing the cycle begun over 60 years ago