On the eve of every performance, Riccardo Massi goes silent, not uttering a single word all day. It's part of the Italian tenor's strict regimen to preserve his instrument -- his vocal cords. "I experimented a lot, and I saw this is the best thing to do," said Massi, the male lead in Puccini's beloved "Tosca" through Saturday at the Kennedy Center in Washington. "My voice needs rest."

There are 2,364 seats in Washington's opera house, and the singers need to reach each one unamplified. "So much of the craft is how you create this sound using only the bodies of the singers and the instruments of wood and metal," said Washington National Opera general director Timothy O'Leary. "Opera singers are like Olympic athletes, creating incredible feats with their bodies."