A little summer diversion: there are so many good recordings of Tosca out there, but which ones are best?  I'm not sure, but here are some of my favorites, recordings that you'll be able to find on Amazon.com.

Recitative.  It's a word you hear thrown around a lot in operatic circles, but do you know what it really means?  Not to worry...here's everything you need to know about recitative and then some.  You'll be thanking me when you can use it intelligently during the next intermission at the opera.  Your friends will be impressed.  Seriously.

Do we need to see Madama Butterfly again?  The answer is a resounding YES!  In the truly great operas, you always find, see and hear something new every time you experience them.  Let Nick Reveles make a few suggestions about why Butterfly is a joy to look forward to this season.

Premiered in 1945, Benjamin Britten's Opera Peter Grimes marked a fresh start for opera in English.  It's a gripping, intense drama set in a small fishing village off the east coast of England.  Find out what makes this opera tick, and why no one should fear twentieth (or twenty-first!) century opera.