Mozart wrote a party song called “Kiss My Ass.” The filthy lyrics (“kiss my ass, quickly, quickly”) weren’t discovered until 1991. This is the stuff you’d learn if the A.V. Club was doing interviews ...

My copy of 'A History of Opera' second edition. Highly recommended for any reader. When Classical 101 host Christopher Purdy hands you a book about opera from his personal shelf, it's probably best to ...

Growing up, you couldn't have paid me to go to the opera. I couldn't stand classical music. It was loud and screechy, and I couldn't understand why anyone would like it. The mere fact that those who ...

This is an edition of the revamped Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. I love music, but I never learned to play an instrument (something I still ...