Anyone used to computers will no doubt have also acquired a certain degree of cynicism towards the gargantuan boasts of new technology, which, we are told that it will change our lives and redefine our everyday experiences. Having spent three nightmarish days coaxing a reluctant modem back into life with scant support from an illiterate manual and lunatic software, I began to realise the awful truth of these predictions. Just before I threw the whole lot into next-door's garden, I thought I would give it another chance with a copy of Nessun Dorma: The Art of Tenor, a new CD-Pluscore from Deutsche Grammophon.

Extraordinary is the only word. Some interactive CD-ROMS are so stuffed with rubbish, belching out feckless jingles and sicking up dizzying images, that they are hopelessly off-putting. Others seem to under-use multimedia potential to such a puritanical extent that you almost feel guilty for switching the monitor on. Discretion is key and I have to say, Deutsche Grammophon, in associating with music publishers Schott, have really got it right; everything is so tastefully and intelligently done.

...everything is so tastefully and intelligently done.

The CD-Pluscore is, as the name suggests, a normal compact disc with extra content. Those who do not have computers can still enjoy the excellent performances in this new range, for they work perfectly on any normal hi-fi. I have to say the performances alone really are reason enough to make the purchase; after all, who can argue with Wunderlich, Pavarotti, Domingo, the Hagen Quartett, Leister, de Peyer and Brunner? By the by, I think that this is one of the highly commendable aspects of the series, for the effort has clearly been to apply the new technology to present the really great recordings and artists and not just the watered-down and talked-up flavours of the month who usually get the glossy interactive treatment.

Anyway, slot the CD into your computer and a completely new dimension emerges. After a brief and mercifully painless installation, a window opens displaying the score of your selected work and a neat array of interesting buttons. This is where the magic begins because when you press the familiar-looking play button on screen, the score springs to life and precisely follows the music as it is performed. 'Precisely' really is the word: I tried to catch it out in tricky ad lib cadenzas but every time, the marker on the score tracked each note with perfect diligence. You can skip through the recordings by reference to the score alone and, if the mood takes you, you can even make a selection from note to note and your chosen excerpt will be played dutifully. The potential that this impressive feature has for education is vast: it will certainly revolutionise score reading in the classroom, but given its smooth and down-to-earth style, it will also have as much to say to the adult music-lover who wants to know more.

	"the score springs to life and precisely follows the music as it is performed"