As 2022 comes to an end, Spotify informed me that I was in the top 0.5 percent of ABBA listeners for the year. I wasn’t surprised. ABBA is musical gold and I was all about “Angel Eyes” before it became a thing on TikTok. I also spent a lot of time listening to Yacht Rock in 2022. Neil Diamond got a fair share as well.

I spent a lot of time driving and don’t find classical music to be car friendly. The recording levels are generally lower and the vast range of dynamics makes it difficult to hear one moment and devastatingly loud the next. I also spent a lot of time working with others and in a situation where we can have music and classical isn’t at the top of my co-worker’s list.

However, this week, my 2022 listening habits came home to roost. I had an uncharacteristic feeling of heaviness and general disappointment yet my circumstances were unchanged. Nothing drastic happened in a positive or negative way.

I found myself listening to one of my operatic stand-bys, Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. As is always the case with this opera, I was astonished by the consistent revelation of melodic beauty in Puccini’s composing. I found myself getting goosebumps during Butterfly’s entrance music in the first act, along with certain choice moments in the second and third acts. It occurred to me that I need opera more than it needs me.

That appears to be an obvious…