Donizetti's sparkling comic opera tells the story of an orphaned French girl adopted by a regiment of soldiers in the waning days of World War II. Host Nicolas Reveles discusses the genesis and composition of the opera, its social milieu, composer Donizetti's life and influences, and performs musical excerpts.

The 1170 murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II shook Christian Europe to its foundation, and set off reverberations still felt today. The nefarious deed also inspired two 20th Century works of art, the verse play by T.S. Eliot and Ildebrando Pizzetti's opera. San Diego Opera's Nick Reveles provides a guided tour of "Murder in the Cathedral," including its basis in Eliot's play, the development of musical themes, and Pizzetti's melding of words and music for maximum dramatic effect.