Film Director Joe Dante

Classical music critic says that no music is more fun than a good operetta. A new collection of lesser known works by composer Jacques Offenbach is more fun than almost any other album this year.

Goode was recently commissioned to record all of Beethoven's piano sonatas. He joins Fresh Air to discuss the challenges of that endeavor, the process of memorizing the repertory, and his early musical training.

The World War II-themed Christabel airs at the same time as Glory! Glory!, about the relationship between a televangist and a punk rocker. Since the latter will play repeatedly on HBO, TV critic David Bianculli recommends first watching the more substantive Christabel.