A typical American opera company mounts about two to four productions a year from fall to spring, large-scale affairs with hundreds of hours of rehearsing and designing and costuming. Now, imagine condensing all of that work and all of those performances into only a few weeks. Every year, America’s summer opera festivals do just that, packing multiple productions, educational offerings, fundraisers, and pretty much everything a year-round company does into only a month or two. They are whirlwind, thrilling affairs.