Traffic everywhere

Just got back from work tonight. Argh…the traffic downtown is terrible, because it’s a two-week school holiday break now. Cars everywhere, with some ignorant bastards behind the wheels. Some of these morons change lanes or make turns without signaling, pedestrians cross the street without looking (they must be Superman’s relatives), and the motorcyclists…they are a scourge.

It’s times like these that I enjoy some classical music, to keep me sane. I love listening to some Bach, Haydn, or Mozart while driving. I like other composers, too, and always make sure I bring along some classical CDs before starting a road trip. This does make me feel more relaxed behind the wheel, thank God.

Now where’s Mad Max when I need him?

Opera, anyone?

OK, confession time. When I started to build up my classical CD collection way back in 1992, one genre I left out was opera. At that time, I thought (rather foolishly, I might add) of opera as grown-up women and men belting out their voices at shockingly high levels in languages foreign to me.

It was only in the past few years that I began to see the beauty of opera, realizing that it was the ultimate combination of voices and instruments. I also began to appreciate it without even knowing the languages, especially Italian. What satisfied me was knowing at least the synopsis of the opera, and then just letting the music and voices transport me to faraway lands where the action takes place.

Oh, another confession. During my student days in London, there was this one time where I paid an inexpensive student rate to see Wagner’s complete Der Ring der Nibelungen (The Ring) in Covent Garden. This is probably the longest opera on record, clocking in around 16 hours and consisting of four parts or sub-operas. I attended all the four parts in four nights, and needless to say, I fell asleep half-way through each night!

Now, where was I. Oh yes, my opera collection now consists of 4 operas. In no particular order:

1. Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro (English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner)
2. Puccini: La Boheme (Pavarotti, Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan)
3. Puccini: Madam Butterfly (Orchestra Accademia Santa Cecilia, Rome, Tullio Serafin)
4. Puccini: Turandot (Pavarotti, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta)

All are very good CD recordings. The latest acquisition was Turandot, recorded way back in 1972, but my, what a marvelous sound!

I guess it’s a case of better late than never.