DIVA - THE NEW GENERATION profiles the glittering constellation of sopranos and mezzo-sopranos who have emerged in the opera world in the last five years. Helena Matheopoulos' 1991 book DIVA studied a series of fully established female stars, and her new work adopts the same method: an analysis of the divas' roles both vocally and dramatically, interspersed with information about their lives and careers. The wrong choice of repertoire, wherever it occurs, is forcefully criticised by a writer whose depth of perception and practical experience of such matters is explanatory. The 'Three Tenors' phenomenon has galvanised opera's already international popularity - divas such as Angela Gheorghiu, Cecilia Bartoli and Renee Fleming have risen to stardom and seem to be going from strength to strength. This book tells you why.