Luciano

LUCIANO

Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007).

Luciano Pavarotti has died.
Well, no one lasts forever; not even the greatest operatic tenor of all time.
Normally, I can’t stand opera.
Our local classical-music radio-station, Dubya Hex Hex Hi, airs a lyric opera feed every Saturday afternoon.
I switch it off.
—350-pound bleach blonde Brunhilda belting out Richard Wagner’s (VAH-gner) “Ride of the Valkyries” at the top of her lungs. (“It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.”)
Even 350-pound Kate Smith doing her ground-shaking wiggle belting out “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain” was more appealing.
But Luciano was a special case.
Luciano could get away with operatic arias yet I loved it.
Years ago driving Transit bus, I was picking up a dark-haired Italian Maria Callas wannabee.
Her world revolved around opera, and all relationships were perceived in operatic terms.
She was sad; pilloried by her distorted perception of reality.
But Luciano seemed to rise above that.
Fabulous tubes melded with Italian passion — the same passion that’s in Ducati motorcycles, Ferrari sportscars, Stradivarius violins; even my gorgeous Marchioni tripod.

“Dubya-Hex-Hex-Hi” is WXXI-FM, 91.5, the classical-music radio-station in Rochester we listen to.

For 16&1/2 years I drove transit bus for Regional Transit Service, the transit-bus operator in Rochester, N.Y.