Opera: the graveyard of melody

There is an old proverb much in evidence now at the [National Opera]: If you want the flowers in your garden to be glorious and to smell good, you must risk an occasional stink.

My passion for opera-the eternal truth of drama through music-has grown, while my interest in performance has diminished. Which is perhaps as good a reason as any other to go quietly.

Whenever I go to an opera, I leave my sense and reason at the door with my half guinea, and deliver myself up to my eyes and my ears

But I never aspired to be a soap opera star. I always wanted to do good dramatic roles on TV and in the movies.

Opera is where a guy gets stabbed in the back, and instead of dying, he sings.