The idea is not to have one great singer surrounded by a bunch of nit wits. When the others are good, too, that's when you get something happening in opera. Richard Bonynge More Quotes by Richard Bonynge More Quotes From Richard Bonynge I'm very fortunate. I've led a charmed life, I think. Richard Bonynge i-think think fortunate life I am one of the luckiest people ever born. Richard Bonynge luckiest i-am born people I like digging around. I'm a real magpie. I used to raid the old music shops in the early '50s in Paris and Brussels. You could pick up some incredible and often valuable music for almost nothing back then. Richard Bonynge nothing back you music I am busy all day long. Never bored - I don't know what the word means. Richard Bonynge i-am day busy long I go to bed at midnight and get up at 9. I never take a nap. I don't get tired. Richard Bonynge never go tired bed Lots of young singers come to me and ask, 'May I sing to you?' I say, 'Yes, you can sing to me as long as you don't mind what I tell you, because I'm not going to flatter you. I'm going to tell you what I think.' Oh, yes, they're quite happy about that, until they hear it. Richard Bonynge me you mind happy You go to a musical; you are deafened by them, with everything blown up. I remember musicals when they didn't use microphones. Richard Bonynge everything go you remember Don't talk to me about Freud. I'll go up the wall! Richard Bonynge about talk go me When I started, I'd never had a conducting lesson in my life; I could just do it. Richard Bonynge lesson my-life never life The most important thing for any performer is to know your own weaknesses. It's much more important to know what you can't do than what you can do. Richard Bonynge your know you important It takes a big voice a long time to develop properly; the bigger it is, the harder it is to develop the technique. Richard Bonynge long-time voice time long If I can't do an opera as well as most people, I won't do it at all. I don't want to touch Wagner because I think a lot of people do it a hell of a lot better than I could. I do the operas I think I can do, know something about. Richard Bonynge better think hell people I think the air in New York is death. Richard Bonynge new think new-york death I've had a wonderful life - I really didn't expect to have this career. Richard Bonynge expect career wonderful life
