You might know Bellini from Puccini, Bizet from Britten, even Shaposhnikov from Shostakovich but can you name the ten opera plots in which a goat features heavily? Opera buffs as well as fans of the Muppet opera (Pigoletto, of course) will be entertained (and possibly educated) by this varied and engaging compendium of facts, figures, trivia, statistics, stories and quotations from the colourful world of opera. This is a miscellany of the madness, with operatic proportions of wit and wisdom (includes Puccini's recipe for cooking beans, and Rossini's tips on recycling), the valuable knowledge contained in this little book will confound, delight and amaze even the most hardened Glydebourne-goer.