Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to All:

 ak>  What is an opera?

 ak>  The correct answer: tI si a dnik fo tra erehw elpoep
 ak>  gnis sgnos retfa gnieb debbats ot htaed.


           Heh.  While I'm not a great fan of opera, it wouldn't surprise me if
 they did.  ISTR that in one of Shakespeare's tragedies... HAMLET or
MACBETH?... various people are mortally wounded & go on for quite some time
saying "Oh, oh, I'm dying!"  In the English tradition there are very few
operas.  Shakespeare's plays had some musical accompaniment.  More recently
we've added plays in which (e.g.) John Wensleydale says "I'm going to the
bakery to fetch a loaf of bread" and then bursts into song about how much he
loves both the smell of fresh bread & the baker's daughter, who works behind
the counter.  But the Italian language sounds so musical already that it seems
natural for Giovanni Mascarpone to sing "I'm going to the bakery" etc. 
Different language <-> different style....  ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)