Understanding the Women of Mozart's Operas

"This is a remarkably original, persuasive, and well-written book. The literary and psychological interpretations of these fictional but semi-legendary women are astute and well-presented, so that even casual lovers of Mozart's operas can absorb and learn useful things. In every case, Brown's detailed analyses of these famous female characters enlarges their human and dramatic potential far beyond their inherited and stereotypical roles. They emerge from Brown's reinterpretation as considerably more complex and interesting than one may have imagined them. This is a rich and rewarding reading experience."--David Littlejohn, author of The Ultimate Art: Essays Around and About Opera