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Mr. Gioia's article transported me back to my early opera going days and the standing room line at the Old Met. The last Menotti opera I saw was The Last Savage. At the end it has a very lovely septet.

I fell in love with lieder and Italian art songs. I have been a staunch admirer of Ivor Gurney's poetry. But I have never been able to warm up to his songs. These days I feel at home with Appalachian songs and traditional folk.

We live in Santa Fe, but haven't been to the opera in awhile. Our first local opera production was Le Nozze di Figaro. I have never forgotten the bats rising from the Orchestra during the overture.

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Do I sense a nostalgia

for the days of the troubadours

when musical muses went begging

with tunes of romance?

Did they throw them quarters then

and dollars too?

Would rap centuries back have been

as welcome as voodoo?

Pavarotti was best at Christmas songs.

None has sung them better,

whether in old or new Latin.

Sound alone is the emotion begetter.

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loved today's class you rock! in a classical way =-)

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