Dedicated to the Memories of Maestro Henry Holt
and Sir Michael Tippett
Opera has been an interest of mine ever since I was fourteen, and it has been my obsession ever since I was twenty. Seeing how important cultural history has been to my education, it is no exaggeration to say that opera is the center of my life.
What is my favorite opera? Whatever I'm listening to at the moment. To be less glib, however, there are a few that I love above all.
Falstaff: My favorite. The perfect opera, never a wrong note or a wrong word.
Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg: A bit long, but a joyful view of life and music.
The Cunning Little Vixen: An unjustly obscure work, which presents a glorious view of the cycle of life and death.
Le nozze di Figaro: A perfect portrait of some imperfect people, and a wonderful musical portrayal of redemption.
Die Zauberfloete: Man and woman. Just when you think it is being frivolous, it becomes solemn. And when you think it is solemn, it laughs at you.
