Il Trittico

Last night my brother and I went to see Il Trittico at the Met, Puccini’s three opera journey through Dante’s Comedy. When Lauretta sang "O mio babbino caro" I felt chills flow through my body, a voice both rich in texture and with power to reach even the family circle seats that we found ourselves in with ease. It was raining afterwards, which provided further amusement as all those dressed up in their Saturday evening finery waited in lines for cabs. The wonderful thing about the Opera is that it provides a complete escape from the routine that so threatens to encompass us. The presentation of the heightened emotions through the well trained voices of these great singers speaks to the under current of raw feeling that lies beneath our mundane actions every day. Life is intense, no matter how much we think we have it all figured out, we have those moments when the orchestra hits a deep minor chord and a high note screams out within us. Life is routines compounded thank God for nights at the Opera and masterpieces of Art that can help us color our lives with the proper importance. If only I wasn’t broke and could afford the $11 glass of champagne. As Keynes said just before his life finally ebbed from his form “My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne”.