September means school; September means football; September also means OPERA!
I have been an intermittent opera listener through the years. The most intensive time for me was the 80s. It was part of my escape strategy - trying to imagine that the decade didn't exist. That didn't really work out, but I listened to a lot of extraordinary music.
If you like Italian Grand Opera, there is nothing grander or Italianer than "Aida", especially the triumphal march. It even includes beating up on the Ethiopians.
Kind of rude how they cut it off like that, but you know, Youtube...
From Act I, Pavarotti sings his love for the Ethiopian princess:
I didn’t want to leave Aida without posting my fellow Mississippian Leontyne Price. She made this title role her own. Interesting that she sang the role all over the world, except for the Met, and when she finally debuted at the Met in a leading role, it was as Leonora in Il Trovatore. Her ovation at the end was either 35 or 42 minutes, depending on your source. Of course, she sang Aida numerous times at the Met thereafter. Here is my favorite aria from this opera:
Ritorna Vincitor!