Ed, I hear a quite different sound. Thanks to a friend who knows and understands voices, I've learned a lot about evaluating them and listening for certain qualities. Before that, my experiences of hearing opera sung were limited to TV caricatures and cartoon-types that made the singing look silly. Then there were divas like Maria Callas (with the voice that waves) whose vibrato really irritated many people.

I like to hear a pure, unaffected voice sing with great emotion and feeling. Then the ensemble singing as in the Flower Duet from Madama Butterfly or the Sextet from Lucia...simply astounding!

I have trouble appreciating Madrigal singing with all the exagerated facial expressions. I also have trouble appreciating a bass voice.