artemus_5 --
If there's a Carmen in the collection (composer Georges Bizet), pull it out and begin on side one. Carmen is the opera that launched my love for the genre. Great tunes...and not just the ones you might be familiar with. High Emotions. Unruly crowds that sometimes seem to be wanting to murder the stars. Will nerdy soldier Don Jose be a mensch and marry the sweet-voiced girl he left behind or will he live dangerously and let the sultry Carmen get her hooks into him? Meantime, the town's imperious Matador also has his eye on Carmen and, in general, just enjoys throwing his weight around. The proverbial chaos ensues. The version I have is on DGG (conducted by Claudio Abbado and featuring
Placido Domingo), and it suffers from that slight metallic feel that
afflicts the label. Nevertheless, the sound is still excellent, and there's no denying the sheer oomph that these six sides convey.