ASPEN - Each summer, the Aspen Music Festival bubbles over with oodles of world-class goodies at prices ranging from steep to free, enjoyed by audiences indoors and out.

During a recent three-day stopover, I attended four programs in the festival's four venues: the Benedict Music Tent, Wheeler Opera House, Harris Concert Hall and Wagner Park.

On Sunday, Aspen borrowed a page from the Metropolitan Opera's playbook on utilizing new media to attract new fans by presenting, for the first time, a free video screening of Bizet's Carmen as the actual production was unfolding right across the street in the Wheeler.

Luckily, the weather was perfect: balmy temperatures, scattered clouds, a handsome sunset and a rising full moon. The giant screen offered a clear picture with readable subtitles and decent - if not breathtaking - sound.

The showing was heavily attended, an estimated 1,000 folks ensconced on blankets and lawn chairs, attracted by the free admission (rather than the $85 price at the Wheeler) and, no doubt, by the sheer novelty of it all.

Festival officials were thrilled at both the turnout and the fact that folks stayed and actually listened and watched.

I caught the first act only, since I knew I'd be attending Monday's final performance. Seated on the grass, I watched the show and the rapt audience, while occasionally glancing at the gorgeous surroundings as evening approached. The crowd's spontaneous intermission activities were just as delightful. Games of Frisbee sprang up on the perimeter, along with dog-walking, kid-chasing and football-tossing. Can't do those inside the Wheeler.

The Wagner Park screening is one of dozens of freebies that help remove the air of high-priced elitism hovering over this prestigious festival. On Tuesday morning, for example, I strolled into the Tent for an open rehearsal of the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, a relatively new program in which 17 maestros-in- the-making gather to hone their craft with the mostly-student Academy Orchestra, under the watchful gaze of veteran conductors David Zinman and Murry Sidlin.

Only a dozen or so observers drifted in and out of the Tent during the three-hour session, at which a half-dozen conductors rehearsed some Wagner, Grieg and Beethoven, intently listening to the words of wisdom from Zinman. The orchestra responded wonderfully.

On Monday, I returned to Carmen with an inside perspective that revealed one immediate fact: The sound is better inside the Wheeler than outside in the park. Under the sure leadership of the ageless maestro Julius Rudel (who's in his mid- 80s), the performance by the Aspen Opera Theatre Center sparkled with energy. There were some quirky touches - notably costumer Marina Reti's curious blend of Dockers, plaid shirts and shorts with Spanish peasant dresses, ratty soldier's camouflage pants and a disappointing get-up of dark trousers and a windbreaker for the star bullfighter, Escamillo.

At least the singing was consistent. Two casts of students and young opera veterans performed. Blythe Gaissert sang the title role for those gathered in Wagner Park - a decent singer with short hair (were there no curly dark wigs for Carmen?), while the more traditional- looking Jami Tyzik took over at the Monday performance. Both were engaging, though Tyzik managed to avoid Gaissert's hands-on-hips clichés while generating more smiling sexiness.

Don José was sung decently by Corey Bix (Sunday) and Hugo Vera (Monday), while Amanda Grooms and Elena O'Connor did admirable work as Micaela. Under Edward Berkeley's nicely paced direction, the show rarely dragged and cast members seemed to enjoy themselves. So did audiences - indoors and out.

"Enjoy" doesn't quite describe my reaction to the Sunday afternoon performance of Nicholas Maw's rambling Violin Concerto, penned in 1993. Though given a committed reading by brilliant young soloist Julia Fischer, with superb support from Zinman and the Festival Orchestra, this was music that failed to hold listeners' attention during long stretches.

The sounds are pleasant enough, but the sheer length of the thing (more than 40 minutes) and its hard-to-track episodic quality inspired merely polite applause at the end - until the distinguished English composer made his way to the stage to share in the ovation. Only then, likely out of respect, did the crowd stand and cheer. Zinman and company then offered a hair-raising performance of Tchaikovsky's explosive Fourth Symphony.

Exiting the Tent, I was struck by this summer's dramatic increase in the hordes of freeloading music lovers spread out on every stretch of surrounding lawn. Here is another nice community gesture from a festival that enthusiastically welcomes visitors with deep pockets or empty ones.

My final Aspen fling was a nutty concert Tuesday night in Harris Hall by the Percussion Ensemble, led by Jonathan Haas. Talk about eclectic programming: The music ranged from the dead-serious Halil by Bernstein (with fine fluting from Nadine Asin) to the borderline insanity of George Antheil's Ballet mécanique, with floor fan substituting for the originally intended airplane propellers. Augmenting the crazy cacophony were bizarre black-and-white animated films by Alex Budovsky.

More music-with-film was featured in two clips from Philip Glass' soundtrack to Powaqqatsi with projected excerpts from the movie. The evening's big crowd- pleasers were two connected jazz-flavored works: a Duke Ellington rarity (Malletoba Spank and the beloved big-band percussion rave-up, Big Noise in Winnetka - all delivered with gusto by the talented percussionists.

This is the way my festival trip ended: not with a whimper but a bang.

Aspen Music Festival

• When and where: various Aspen venues through Aug. 19

• Information: 970-925-9042

shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5296