iTunes 11.0.4 crashing frequently

I've used iTunes for years with no trouble, but starting with 11.0.3 I've been experiencing regular crashes. When I installed 11.0.3 the app would crash 2-3 times daily; initially 11.0.4 was better (though still buggy), but today it's crashed 3 times. The crashes occur either when I try to delete things from the library or right after a CD has been burned.

Additionally, I get a beach ball whenever I switch between a playlist and the music library, and whenever I add or remove songs. It lasts only for a few seconds (normally), but it doesn't seem like it should be happening. This is all becoming extremely frustrating, and I wonder whether anyone knows of a fix or is experiencing similar problems. Recommendations for other applications which can manage music libraries and burn CDs would also be appreciated--I'm just about ready to quit using iTunes completely.