Am I unusual to find opera excruciatingly difficult to listen to?

I wouldn't bother with the rest of this episode by the way. It's mostly a stage show.

I really hated opera until the time I actually went to see one. It was the opening of the season (not Glyndebourne exactly!) and I was invited in an official capacity. I went along for the champagne reception and hoped to slip away quietly at the first opportunity.

It was Così fan tutte performed in the open air, one of those low-budget productions performed by good singers past their sell-by date or promising young singers on the up, with sets that cost, oooh, tens of pounds! But by the end I was still sitting there as the applause finally died down, mesmerised.

It wasn't long before I was mainlining Wagner CDs, although I wouldn't recommend that for a beginner. If I had to take to their first opera somebody who claimed not to like opera I;d probably choose Tosca: it's comparatively short, it's got a good strong story and some magnificently hummable tunes including one in particular that tends to wriggle in the head for a week afterwards.

Last year I saw a live transmission from Covent Garden of Carmen. It was a modern production and had mixed reviews. Comments from members of the worldwide audiences were also mixed. Those, like me who weren't experience opera goers generally liked it whereas the opera fans did not.

I have a friend who is a music critic and was chatting to him the differences of opinion. He hated it but then he is a Wagner fanatic who regularly goes to Bayreuth. My opinion of Wagner - nice tunes shame about the singing.

Has anyone noticed that they’ve been having a lot of opera questions on University Challenge recently. I’m quite chuffed because I usually answer Puccini to all of them so invariably get one right.