Art is the signature of civilizations.
I never share credit or desserts.
I don’t share blame. I don’t share credit. And I don’t share desserts.
A primary function of art and thought is to liberate the individual from the tyranny of his culture in the environmental sense and to permit him to stand beyond it in an autonomy of perception and judgment.
Why let one high C ruin your whole evening?
My voice had a long, nonstop career. It deserves to be put to bed with quiet and dignity, not yanked out every once in a while to see if it can still do what it used to do. It can’t.
As soon as I arrive at the house, Laurie starts running, hits my chest, knocks me down, and licks my face. It’s become a family ritual.
The last major childhood disease remains and it’s the worst of them all: nuclear war.
The Lourie Center eases the burden of children and their families through early intervention and diagnoses and treatment.
When you’re in love, the whole world is Jewish.
There are an awful lot of skinny people in the cemetery.
In youth we run into difficulties. In old age difficulties run into us.
Just sing it. Don’t prove you can sing it. I know you can, you know you can. So just do it, because if you try to prove it, you’ll lose.
Opera is an extremely disciplined art form, and every excess a singer indulges in has a direct effect on the voice.
Don’t get me started on critics.
I’ve always tried to be cheerful, because I think people who whine are boring, and I never could tolerate bores.
The press frequently sneers at the hype devoted to a superstar, but the press itself is responsible for all the hype.
There is something in me-I just can’t stand to admit defeat.
So long as it doesn’t get to the point where you don’t remember whose opera you’re listening to, I’m willing to experiment.
I really do believe I can accomplish a great deal with a big grin, I know some people find that disconcerting, but that doesn’t matter.
There is a growing strength in women, but it is in the forehead, not in the forearm.