For three years, the 'Meistersinger' score was a ball and chain to me. It went with me to every city and concert hall.

People think top singers are overpaid, but opera houses have a top fee, which is a good thing. Of course concerts are different- everyone wants to make as much money as possible.

I think every singer should be able to jump in for a singer who has been sick, for instance, and learn an opera in two days. I know people who can do it.

Good acting is about being as natural and calm as possible. These days producers have such definite ideas that you have to be prepared to do whatever they ask.

If you have a recital to do, you have to memorize the songs. I never use music when I do recitals. It produces an instant barrier, both for yourself and the audience.

I enjoy all aspects of singing and I'm luckily given the choice to be part of different styles of music.

I work on my voice through what I have to sing.

When I watch the Olympics I become such an emotional wreck. I've always loved the Olympics, be it the summer or the winter Olympics.

I started singing because I come from Wales

For the mountains shall depart

Success does not bring happiness. Success brings success.

Fainting is for preteen girls and those really weird goats. I do not faint!

Without a little chaos life will be dull, unbeautiful, for we have been trained not to align with simplicity for too long.

Superstition is the religion of feeble minds.

The only prayer which a well-meaning man can pray is, O ye gods, give me whatever is fitting unto me!

For me, there is a strong hypnotic power in noise-music, and that's something I don't want to leave out of my music anymore.

They got love bigger than the Beatles, wild and free like the Rolling Stones.

My only foray into anything stock-market-related was in my eighth grade social studies class. I have steered clear ever since.

There will always be a business cycle, and white-collar workers will get hit in the next recession like they always do in recessions.

My mother was kind and forgiving and would take in all the waifs and strays in our neighbourhood; we always compared her to Mother Teresa. She taught me a lot.