English National Opera has launched a regular series of free podcasts, featuring information, interviews and musical samples. Hosted by Edward Seckerson, music critic for The Independent of London, the downloadable audio features will be prepared for each production ENO presents.

The first podcast in the series examines Britten's The Turn of the Screw, which opens at ENO this evening. The staging, by director David McVicar, won Russia's Golden Mask award for Best Opera Production award when it was presented at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg last season.

The podcast includes interviews with McVicar and singers Rebecca Evans (who plays the Governess) and Timothy Robinson (Peter Quint), as well as excerpts from the Aldeburgh Festival recording of the opera, starring Felicity Lott and Philip Langridge, on Naxos.

For more information on ENO's podcasts, and to listen in streaming audio, to download or to subscribe, visit www.eno.org/podcasts.

By Matthew Westphal