FAREWELL VIRGIN MEGASTORE TIMES SQUARE

I JUST f0und out that a chapter of music retailing has been closed. For many
years it was the biggest record store in USA, with sales of fifty million bucks, before the recording industry fell in a slump that continues today.

It was a trip to enter, search in the bins for any kind of music one may think off,
from any country or period. The street level floor was mostly rock, first level down,
jazz, classical opera, world music. Last level, videos and books, coffee shop and entrance to some movie theater vaguely remembered.

The most expensive cd's I found were operas or early singers from
beginings of the century. Among opera interpreters, the most expensive single cd I saw was from Tito Schippa, a tenor.

Working as a cashier in the classical department for two winters, allowed me to learn a lot about opera, and classical music in general... Regarding voice, pitch and range. I was tutored by Scott, a pasty pale, probably of Irish descent, a bohemian, unkempt cashier, singer, and expert in the history of opera. A fanatic, similar to bible ones. His conversations were only about issues related and
relevant to understand what singing, technique is on one hand and its relation to how does all tenors and sopranos, are not created equal, nor they sound alike
in the same range.

Thus, I learned about Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Bidu Sayao, Franco Corelli,
and Boejerlin, perhaps my favorites in my limited tolerance for this music. I fell in love with the Bachianas Brasileras sung by Sayao, an obscure Brazilian soprano from
the thirties, a really impressive voice in a masterpiece composition.

Regarding tenors, Scott thought Pavarotti was the best ever, while I was into
Domingo at the time. But I could listen to the Sweedish and Corelli any time, I really
enjoy those voices.

This was circa 1996/97. Then there was a negro soprano with the MET, who got too
much of a diva with the orchestra and director....Soon afterwards she was fired
and that was that never herd of her again..

Anecdotes from those days...

Many Argentinians and Venezuelans came to buy cd's, vhs, and some lp's looking
devices used to record live operas, movies and such...Later substituted with dvd's.
They would spend hundred of dollars..Along with negros from Harlem and Brooklyn,
into the pirate underground economy.

These characters will spend up to a thousand bucks in salsa, classical, regue,
hip hop, music and film to later copy and sell for a third of the price of originals,
their products in every corner of some neighborhoods in New York City, placed on blankets on the sidewalks of the five boroughs.

There was a well educated employee, something rare in the store, I mean manners and academics. This Mexican, a supervisor, was a classical buff. A fanatic of Gorecki's 3rd Symphony, a really somber composition a la Grieg.. I bought it many years later and find surprising that in these circles, this composer and many others are never mentioned. People get used to the same common places...Easier to chew and digest.

To finish. Cash in/cash out were always the most frustrating aspects of the job, dealing with the ghettoish security guards, always the dumbells, village idiots, some
supervisors were really humourous and witty, while others bitter, dumb and sour.
Meeting people from many other countries was most of the time the exciting, stimulating part of being a cashier. Even for short periods of time. Argentinians
were the most receptive and open to respond to my inquiries. Puerto Rican islanders
the most foolish, always in a defensive attitude.

In essence, Virgin Megastore, will remain a nice memory regarding music, and the majority of people met, working for peanuts, in one of the most expensive cities. I would say without doubt that the majority of the people working in this huge store,
had two jobs, working sixty and more hours a week to be able to pay their way.

Time to go...