wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

One of the most highly anticipated opera events of the season takes place tomorrow night at the Metropolitan Opera, with the world premiere of "An American Tragedy," Tobias Picker's opera based on the 1925 novel of the same name by Theodore Dreiser. Dreiser's book is based on a real-life murder case that grabbed national headlines in 1906. Today, a look at the opera and its inspiration with Francesca Zambello, the director of the production, and Craig Brandon, author of the book Murder in the Adirondacks. Also on the show: young Dutch violinist Janine Jansen. Her new album of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" has been making a splash in the digital domain, breaking into the overall iTunes charts -- even landing one week at No. 19 between pop stars Kelly Clarkson and David Gray. Also joining us is Tom Strini, music and dance critic of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who discusses how the Milwaukee Symphony recently became the first American orchestra to place its archival recordings on iTunes.