Aspects of Modern Opera: Estimates and Inquiries

"Aspects of Modern Opera: Estimates and Inquiries" by Lawrence Gilman is a study of opera in the early 1900s, thinking about how it changed. It looks at how famous composers like Wagner, Puccini, and Strauss shaped opera. The book talks about how opera changed, and how music and storytelling worked together in new operas. It begins by considering Wagner's big effect on opera, especially how his style made it hard for new composers to be original. Gilman looks at why some composers couldn't move past Wagner's ideas, and then talks about the few, like Puccini and Strauss, who made their own mark in opera.