Drozin loved classical music and any time Ramshief Hoorganvisor got tickets for a concert, the ballet, or an opera, he jumped at the chance to attend the performance at Lincoln Center.  After a typical day at work cranking out the six novels, he was ready to relax and enjoy some beautiful music. 

With Russia becoming more capitalistic and people able to travel more freely, performance groups that would have never had the chance to come to America were coming over to make more money than they could have ever made back in Mother Russia. 

A new opera company out of Moscow made up of mainly conservatory students and instructors came to Lincoln Center’s Metropolitan Opera House for a week of world premiers and New York premiers.  The opera Drozin chose to attend was titled in English “The Strangers.”  

The opera centered around a group of people in a mental hospital and their lives.  Among the insanity, there was love between some of the patients.  It was supposed to sound neo-classical and at times romantic like something Tchaikovsky or Khachaturian might have composed. 

When Drozin and Ramshief entered the theater they noticed some security people and UN delegates for Russia in the crowd.  They were allowed to pass by the ticket takers without stopping. 

“Were they here on other nights?” Drozin asked Ramshief. 

“No they weren’t.  I guess the opera is very significant.  I’m definitely looking forward to hearing it.”

Drozin and Ramshief found their seats in one of the balconies and before the curtain opened, the orchestra began to play the Russian National Anthem.  The people who knew it sang along with the performers.  After everyone was seated, the curtain opened and the overture started.  The music was very Russian; powerful yet beautiful.  It set the mood which was mainly depressing with occasional themes of intense love and desire.  There were even hints of hope sprinkled throughout the score. 

The curtain opened to show a group therapy session.  There was a mixture of old and young people singing about their lives, their hopes, their desires, and their loves.  People sang about fear, feelings of extreme depression, suicide, and how they felt about the other patients and society in general.