Opera online.

If you surf the Net at all, you already know there are more Websites devoted to opera than notes in Lucia di Lammermoor's vocal arsenal. One of my own favorites is Michael Black's Opera House (www.stairway.bc.ca/bjorling/index.htm). Although somewhat inconsistent in content and gossipy in tone, the site can also be both informative and entertaining.

For me, one of the most interesting aspects is the inclusion of the Metropolitan Opera's Future Seasons page, prepared by Bradley Wilber. As most opera companies tend to hold back information about future seasons until the last minute, this section can make for fascinating reading. Wilber has gleaned information about future Met seasons (up to and including 2006/2007) from a variety of sources, ranging from newspaper and magazine articles, opera-company Web pages, artists' management Web pages and singers' home pages.

We learn, for instance, that next season, the Met will mount a new production of Berlioz's Les Troyens with tenor Ben Heppner as Aeneas; the 2003/2004 season will include a new production of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini with Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian as Teresa; 2004/2005 will include a new production of Ambroise Thomas's rarely staged opera, Hamlet, featuring Thomas Hampson in the title role and Natalie Dessay as Ophelie; and during the 2006/2007 season, soprano Deborah Voigt will star in a new production of Strauss's Die Agyptische Helena.

However, contracts can be changed and productions cancelled, so, as Wilber warns, "take this information for what it may or may not be worth. And do know that you can always visit the Met's official site."

Another appealing feature of MBOH is Senta's New Recordings, a page designed "to inform buyers of the numerous new releases of vocal and opera recordings [CDs and DVDs] released each month." These updates (primarily of European imports) include a large section devoted to industry talk and future releases. Here we discover Heppner will be making his third CD of Wagner's Die Meistersinger, this time for Deutsche Grammophon; American mezzo Susan Graham will record the role of Didon in Les Troyens under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and Jane Eaglen has recorded both Wagner's Die Fliegende Hollander and Tannhauser with Daniel Barenboim for Teldec.

As for the rest of the site, it is variable. It does, though, include a generous list of links to a variety of other opera Websites. There is even one devoted to supernumeraries. Webmaster Michael Black appears to be an earnest young man with a recent Bachelor of Music degree who loves opera and great singing.