""Fascinating details from behind the scenes are uncovered. . . . Recommended.""--Choice ""A treasury of historical information long unrelated or unknown. . . . This is a most valuable addition to anyone's operatic experience.""--American Record Guide ""Absolutely riveting, full of new information and giving much food for thought.""--Opera""A highly readable collection of interesting essays that come to terms with the deeply problematic treatment of black characters by opera composers and librettists and with the exceptional challenges facing black singers on the operatic stage. The volume will appeal to opera lovers and scholars alike.""--Michael V. Pisani, author of Imagining Native America in MusicPublication of this book was supported by grants from the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund; the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; the Publications Endowment of the American Musicological Society, supported through the National Endowment for the Humanities; and Friends of Drake Arts, Drake University.