I saw the Metropolitan Opera tonight perform Turandot. The soprano, Marina Poplavskaya had a truly lovely voice, but it was the tenor aria of Nessun Dorma (Marcello Giordani) that overwhelmed me with its beauty. Ah, opera, you so break me with your beauty. Even when I scoff at the idea of the hero instantly falling in love and magically forgiving her for the murder of 27 men and his devoted servant. Never mind all that, it was just because she was icy cold and hadn’t been thawed by love. Ah, but Puccini can even make a believer out of me.

I shall be seeing Tosca (my first exposure!) this Saturday and The Merry Widow in two weeks. It just might sate the cravings for a soaring tragedy for the winter.

And now I shall leave you with the definitive version of Nessun Dorma (although, I’m rather partial to Marcello. Maybe its because he was already being compared to Pavarotti and he hadn’t even had a chance to open his mouth. And I’m fond of the underdogs). Enjoy!