Henry Edward Krehbiel, before going to New York to become the music editor of the New York Tribune, studied law in Cincinnati and was music critic for The Cincinnati Gazette. During his lifetime, he wrote many books about music, including Studies in the Wagnerian drama (1891), Chapters of Opera (1908), and Afro-American folksongs: a study in racial and national music (1914) - one of the earliest examinations of African-American music.

"...[these books are] a great deal more than a collection of bare plots. The author weaves into his discussion of each opera a great deal of information about the composer, about the music, about striking incidents connected with creation and presentation. The book will appeal to the musician through its fine scholarly and critical qualities; it will appeal equally to the ordinary music lover through the charm and simplicity of its style, and through its rich fund of interesting and entertaining stories." -New York Tribune

Both books are hardbound with cover.