I was recently reminded of how different types of music and lyrics can be inspiring, whether I like it or not.  For instance, I don’t normally like opera music.  First, it is too many times in a foreign language that I don’t understand.  Second, the performers, more often than not, are dressed in such a way and performing on stage in such a manner that it is unclear as to the plot and left entirely to the personal interpretation of each observer (this is exacerbated by the foreign language issue).  And third, when the language and the performing leave the viewer without a plot, the costumes and makeup often don’t help the audience members deduce exactly what it is that they’ve paid for.

Regardless, I recently discovered what the name of one of my favorite opera songs is.  I’ve even found the interpretation of the lyrics on-line (unusual for me to progress this far with an operatic piece) and they are quite beautiful.  Look up “Vide Cor Meum” sometime and you’ll see what I mean.  I first heard it on the movie Hannibal.  It was composed specifically for the movie.  Mainly due to the Dante subject matter used in the movie and in the lyrics and not for the cannibalism theme of the film.  It is also, apparently, on the movie Kingdom of Heaven during the king’s burial. 

Wonderful music, which is what impressed me first.  Romantic and moving.  The type you could close your eyes to and feel soothed by, letting every other item in your mind go, only leaving more room to focus on the soft blending of the notes and words.  I need to find more like this one.  And, of course, the lyrics were the second impression.  Although in Italian, you can sense in the way they are delivered that they are given with love and tenderness.