About 11 years ago, A., who was then my girlfriend, shared with me part of the opera she, as far as I remember, liked the most. Her love was for U2, truly, but this one melody resonated in her, and in me. Since then, for almost 11 years, I found myself casually whistle the really catchy part of the melody, you may guess which one, at random hours of days and I always recalled I had heard it together with A. some years back.
In 2006 I asked A. if she could come up with the title. No luck. Two hours ago I heard the melody while watching a movie. After 11 years, the mystery of the melody is, finally, solved, “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” (also here). And so 5 years after having asked A., I sent her an email to declare the mystery solved.
The beauty of keeping alive the freedom to share such a discovery that comes with having had the courage to search for common ground after the hardship of a relationship that came to an end, instead of keeping alive the fire of Hell’s vengeance boiling in one’s heart, or artificial indifference in the form of forced silence.