Opera and the Morbidity of Music

Opera and the Morbidity of Music by Joseph Kerman is a collection of previously published essays from The New York Review of Books on opera and classical music.  The essays are well written, as one would expect from a Professor Emeritus of Music at UC, Berkeley, and also interesting, especially if one has a particular interest in classical music, or even just in a particular composer.  Much of the book is organized by composer:  three essays on Bach, four essays on Mozart, four essays on Beethoven, two on Verdi, three on Wagner, and the rest single essays on a composer, performer, conductor, or a general theme, such as the sonata form.  People who often read the Review know that the essays there tend to be expansive and not just about the book or books under review.  These are no exception.  One warning:  If you don’t know much about classical music or opera, you are likely to find parts of the essays that you won’t fully understand, since they are written for musically educated listeners.