This is an excerpt of a very interesting interview with Leontyne Price. She speaks openly about her life and career. Here she's talking about sacrifices that come with the profession but also the glories of it.
She doesn't want to emphasize the sacrifices, because each person is individual and the benefits are equally overwhelming. She calls the whole experience one great BALL. But for her a marriage with children wasn't part of the plan. She says that she would find it unfair or cruel to expect of one person all the wonderful things she gets out of music and the audience.
And here some final words of advice. Talking about daily routine, yoga, work and play time. She calls cancelling "the unpardonable sin". Speaking of her MET debut triumph (in Trovatore) with a 42 min. ovation, how that experience remains with her. She gets teary-eyed. She also very cutely admits to putting on the tape of that applause from time to time.
Finally she speaks of the galaxy of roles she learned in Europe before making her debut at the MET.
Her words of advice to the young singer: "Know that it will be the best of you as an expression of who and what you are and...come on in, the water is so fine, that you won't believe it. That you can be the best you are as an artist and it's a wonderful way of expressing yourself as a human being. And you can also conquer...relate to life in general through it. It's a great instrument of your self expression. Indeed. And LOVE IT. 'Cause that means you love yourself. And you can certainly find out who you are, which is MOST important to everybody."
Interesting, indeed. I also think so, not being an opera singer myself. I imagine aspiring opera singers should be thrilled to hear this and to learn what it takes to be a professional singer, the sacrifices, and what it can give you in return. I don't think, in general, people realize what it really takes to be an opera singer. So these clips should give a good impression. And provide inspiration to those who are willing to climb that mountain. I don’t think, by the way, Daughter of Wotan, Ms. Price totally agrees with your Nr. 3 on the list of Things Every Opera Singer Needs. But these are all individual choices, of course.
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