The cover of this 2-CD compilation is an exercise in diplomacy. "Alagna," it goes, "Bartoli, Carreras, Cura, Gheorghiu . . . " You don't need to read any further to realise that this is no ordinary A to Z, but an A to Z of the top-notch names of the moment; inside, you'll find a few welcome new ones for good measure, such as Annick Massis (French? soprano?) with a breathtaking piece of Rossini, and Susan Graham (English? ditto?) with a seductive slice of Berlioz.

It's good to hear Britten, Stravinsky and Monteverdi right in there among the oh-sofamiliar Puccini and god-awful cutesy Offenbach: despite its silly title, this is an intelligent and enjoyable trot around who's who on the contemporary opera scene.