Magnificent settings host summer music festival offerings.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

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Summer means festival time, and with dozens of arts festivals stretched across the United States and Europe there's no lack of great music. The problem is deciding where you want to hear it played.

In the United States, there's opera in the desert or high in the mountains, chamber music in historic theaters and mansions. In Europe, music is played in ancient Roman arenas, great Gothic cathedrals, charming squares, or on that huge floating stage on Austria's Lake Constance.

Nothing could be more natural or delightful, for a visit to such festivals should be a voyage of discovery, seeking not just the music but the things that make it different in different places: the scenery, the architecture, the history, the food, and the people.

So here is a look at some favorite festivals that offer magnificent music with spectacular settings to match:

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UNITED STATES: