In the olden days when I was a kid, my mom would drop me off at grandma's on Saturday afternoon. Gram and I would listen together to the Metropolitan Opera presentations. I literally learned opera at her knee.
Grandma was born in Germany in the late 1800's. She told me every hamlet in Germany no matter how small or poor seemed to have its own concert haus and operetta company. The country was totally into music. My grandmother passed on her love of musical culture to me and I'm forever grateful. I still listen to the Met on Saturdays just like I did when grandma was sitting in her chair sewing and darning.
I live in Florida now. My area is rather a dry hole for opera.....but Ruth Eckerd Hall a half-hour from me in Clearwater puts on some passable opera. Sarasota, the home of Cong. Katherine Harris, has opera worth the two-hour drive. I saw Die Fledermaus there and really enjoyed it.
I appreciate the photos above so much. Opera, operetta, ballet and classical music are a great part of my life.
I hate today's music!
(......ducking!)
Leni
I guess Miami has its share of beautiful buildings, though IMO, a good many of them tend to be private residences, such as the Charles Deering Estate (now a county park) above. But I was referring to my distaste for the ever sprouting MacMansions, along with the Levittown type of cheap housing that is coming so quickly now. However, I guess those things are a plague other places as well. I happen to also think that the Miami Dade Municipal Building is beautiful, though I think it inappropriate for a goverment center to occupy such an imposing structure. Can't find a picture of it for some reason.