This valuable introduction to opera will have novices riding with the Valkyries and being enticed by Cecilia Bartoli's Rosina, Mirella Freni's Mimi, and Placido Domingo's Cavaradossi. These selections provide a strong cross-section of musical and dramatic styles, including Mozart, Bizet, Puccini, and Verdi to name a few. Plenty of Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and Dame Joan Sutherland will titillate the ears of the untrained, who will also melt from their introductory renditions of the Butterfly Chorus and the Pearl Fishers duet. Most performances are easy on the ears and will leave you craving complete versions of the good stuff. --- Barbara Eisner Bayer