I shall take you to the opera, help you hear the music, walk you through the veils, peer under the masks, and get to the heart of things. The magic and mystery of opera and ballet were first revealed to me as a very young child at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. I would sit, transfixed on the great red curtain, as the house lights dimmed and the conversation died away around me. I held my breath as the heavy curtain began to rise majestically. I can still feel the cool rush of air that flowed out from under the curtain, over the orchestra pit, and into the theatre. My expectation was almost too much to bear. What will be revealed? What new heights of magic will be reached this time? Neither the expectation nor the experience has changed much over the years. Opera is a totally sensory experience that one sees, hears, feels, smells; an experience that touches us on many levels. Twentieth century theatres do not always have the great house curtain, that heavy veil that masks what is to come. Yet, as the performance gets underway, from out of the darkness comes light. Theatre is about seeing, about reaching behind the veils to learn, to find truth. The veils that surround the action and the characters, and sometimes even the music, may be dense or diaphanous. Veils  can be used to conceal; they may be torn away; they will often be patched, mended, or rearranged. Ultimately, they will be cast off as revelation occurs in the last thrilling moments of resolution. The purpose of my Opera Unveiled books is to tug at the veils that surround the mystery that is opera. Desirée Mays, Santa Fe, NM