Bereson investigates the elite and privileged status of the closed-world of opera, and the way states have financed and supported it since its beginnings.

Economics is a scientific, highly evolved subject that explains exactly what will happen in a given set of circumstances. It then provides a convincing explanation for why it didn't happen as forecasted.

It has been said that zarzuela means to Spain what operetta means to Vienna, Offenbach to Paris, Gilbert and Sullivan to London, and the musical to Broadway. Zarzuela is Spain's unique contribution to lyric theatre, a mixture of spoken and sung drama with a complex history extending over four centuries. The Zarzuela Companion is a comprehensive guide to zarzuela's most popular and romantic works written after 1850, with chapters devoted to the major Spanish zarzuela composers, writers and singers. Complete synopses of all sixty works selected are delivered at the level of detail necessary for non-Spanish speakers to follow along with ease. The book also features special sections on the history of the genre, and on the parallel Catalan and Cuban zarzuela traditions. A foreword by Plácido Domingo, a selected discography with current catalog reference numbers, a brief bilingual bibliography and glossary of Spanish terms make this book indispensable for the newcomer and aficionado alike.

Champagne is a deliciously volative liquid that can have a surprising effect on your reputation, relationship, and bank balance.