The history of women opera is a grand story. Singers and patrons, of course, but also women were composers and librettists from opera's beginnings in Renaissance Italy. At first it was exclusively for the nobility. In the 19th century, with the emergence of the middle class and the rise of nationalism, there were more public theaters and opera seemed to be everywhere. This meant more opportunities for composers, though men predominated. This book focuses on the women, from the 16th century to today, who have had successful careers in opera, many of them well known in their time.
