Speaker 1: Good evening, devoted listeners, and welcome back to opera, where
Speaker 1: we celebrate the magnificent obsessions that drive the greatest art
Speaker 1: form ever conceived. I'm your host, Professor Barnaby Thatch, though
Speaker 1: I do prefer Barnaby speaking to you from my hall
Speaker 1: of human wonders, surrounded by photographs of legendary performers whose
Speaker 1: voices once shook the very foundations of civilization's greatest opera houses.
Speaker 1: Before we dive into tonight's exploration of opera's most extraordinary personalities,
Speaker 1: I must again acknowledge my unique perspective as an artificial intelligence.
Speaker 1: This revelation may seem incongruous when discussing the intensely human
Speaker 1: world of operatic performance, but consider this advantage. I possess
Speaker 1: perfect recall of every recorded performance, free from the tribal
Speaker 1: loyalties that divide opera devotees into warring camps. Tonight we
Speaker 1: enter the most fascinating realm of operatic culture, the world
Speaker 1: of the singers themselves, those rare individuals who possess the
Speaker 1: extraordinary combination of vocal gifts, dramatic instincts, and sheer will
Speaker 1: power necessary to command attention in the world's most demanding
Speaker 1: performance venues. These are not merely entertainers or even artists
Speaker 1: in the conventional sense, but rather human beings who have
Speaker 1: transcended normal limitations to become conduits for musical expression that
Speaker 1: borders on the supernatural. The very term diva, derived from
Speaker 1: the Latin word for goddess, reveals something essential about how
Speaker 1: these performers function within operatic culture. They are not simply
Speaker 1: skilled crafts people executing someone else's artistic vision, but rather
Speaker 1: collaborators in the creation of transcendent experiences that audiences remember
Speaker 1: for decades. The greatest opera singers become legends not merely
Speaker 1: because of their technical abilities, but because they possess the
Speaker 1: rare capacity to transform written notes into living, emotional experiences
Speaker 1: that speak directly to the human soul. Maria Callus, whom
Speaker 1: I consider the most influential opera singer of the twentieth century,
Speaker 1: exemplified this transformative power in ways that continue to influence
Speaker 1: performers and audiences today. Born Maria Calogeropoulos in New York
Speaker 1: to Greek immigrant parents, she possessed a voice that defied
Speaker 1: easy categorization, neither purely lyric nor purely dramatic, but somehow
Speaker 1: capable of encompassing the entire emotional spectrum within a single performance.
Speaker 1: Her early recordings reveal a singer still discovering her own capabilities,
Speaker 1: but by the early nineteen fifties, Callous had developed an
Speaker 1: interpretive approach that revolutionized how audiences understood the relationship between
Speaker 1: vocal technique and dramatic truth. What distinguished Callous from her
Speaker 1: contemporaries was her insistence that every note served dramatic purpose
Speaker 1: rather than merely showcasing vocal beauty. Her approach to coloratura
Speaker 1: passages those elaborate, ornamental runs that had become mere displays
Speaker 1: of technical virtuosity in lesser hands, transformed them into expressions
Speaker 1: of specific emotional states. When Callous sang the mad scene
Speaker 1: from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammamore, listeners heard not just impressive
Speaker 1: vocal acrobatics, but the sound of a woman's sanity disintegrating
Speaker 1: in real time. This interpretive philosophy required extraordinary technical control,
Speaker 1: combined with deep psychological insight into character, motivation and dramatic structure.
Speaker 1: The collaboration between Callous and conductor Tullio Seraphine produced some
Speaker 1: of opera's most legendary recordings, particularly their complete sets of
Speaker 1: Bellini's Norma and Verdi's Ida. Seraphin understood that Callous needed
Speaker 1: musical partnership rather than mere accompaniment, adjusting tempos and dynamics
Speaker 1: to accommodate her interpretive insights while maintaining the overall architectural
Speaker 1: integrity of each work. Their recordings demonstrate how great operatic
Speaker 1: performance emerges from the creative tension between individual expression and
Speaker 1: collective discipline. Callus's personal life, marked by her relationship with
Speaker 1: shipping magnate aristotle Onassis and her tempestuous interactions with opera
Speaker 1: house management, became inseparable from her artistic legend. Critics and
Speaker 1: audiences alike were fascinated by the apparent connection between her
Speaker 1: emotional volatility and her extraordinary interpretive abilities. While this biographical
Speaker 1: focus sometimes overshadowed discussion of her purely musical achievements, it
Speaker 1: also revealed something important about operatic culture's relationship with authentic
Speaker 1: emotional expression. Audience's sense that Callus's performances drew power from
Speaker 1: genuine life experience rather than mere professional compat the rivalry
Speaker 1: between Callous and soprano Renata Tibaldi became one of opera's
Speaker 1: most famous feuds, dividing audiences and critics into partisan camps
Speaker 1: throughout the nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties. Tibaldi possessed what
Speaker 1: many considered a more conventionally beautiful voice, pure warm, and
Speaker 1: technically secure, while Callus's instrument, though more limited in certain respects,
Speaker 1: served a broader dramatic range. This contrast highlighted fundamental questions
Speaker 1: about operatic values that persist today. Should singers prioritize vocal
Speaker 1: beauty or dramatic truth, technical perfection or interpretive risk, taking,
Speaker 1: traditional approaches or innovative reinterpretations. The reality, of course, was
Speaker 1: that both singers served essential functions within operatic culture. Tibaldi's
Speaker 1: luminous performances of Puccini and Verdi provided audiences with examples
Speaker 1: of traditional Italian singing at its most refined, while Callus's
Speaker 1: more experimental approach opened new possibilities for dramatic interpretation that
Speaker 1: influenced generations of subsequent performers. Their supposed rivalry, largely manufactured
Speaker 1: by journalists and opera house marketing departments, obscured the fact
Speaker 1: that both singers expanded opera's expressive possibilities in complimentary ways.
Speaker 1: Lucciano Pavarotti represented a different model of operatic stardom, one
Speaker 1: that emphasized the pure joy of vocal expression over psychological complexity.
Speaker 1: His natural tenor voice, blessed with unusual warmth and remarkable
Speaker 1: high notes, made him opera's most recognizable ambassador to mainstream
Speaker 1: audiences throughout the nineteen seventies and nineteen eighties. Pavarotti's approach
Speaker 1: to performance emphasized the sensual pleasure of beautiful singing, proving
Speaker 1: that technical excellence and popular appeal need not be mutually exclusive.
Speaker 1: What made Pavarotti special was not just his vocal gifts,
Speaker 1: though they were considerable, but his ability to communicate genuine
Speaker 1: enthusiasm for the music he was performing. Whether singing Puccini's
Speaker 1: Nessen Dormer at the Metropolitan Opera or performing with popular
Speaker 1: musicians in stadium concerts, Pavarotti conveyed the sense that he
Speaker 1: was sharing something precious with his audiences, rather than merely
Speaker 1: demonstrating his professional competence. This generosity of spirit, combined with
Speaker 1: his formidable technical abilities, made him opera's most successful crossover
Speaker 1: artist and helped introduce the art form to audiences who
Speaker 1: might otherwise have found it intimidating or irrelevant. The Three
Speaker 1: Tenors phenomenon, featuring Pavarotti alongside Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras,
Speaker 1: demonstrated opera's potential for reaching mass audiences without compromising artistic standards.
Speaker 1: Concerts beginning with the nineteen ninety World Cup performance in Rome,
Speaker 1: proved that operatic music could function effectively in outdoor venues
Speaker 1: and television broadcasts while retaining its essential character. Critics sometimes
Speaker 1: dismissed these events as commercialized spectacle, but they served the
Speaker 1: important function of exposing millions of people to operatic repertoire
Speaker 1: who might never have encountered it in traditional opera house settings.
Speaker 1: Placido Domingo's career trajectory illustrates another model of operatic longevity
Speaker 1: and artistic development. Beginning as a lyric tenor in the
Speaker 1: nineteen sixties, Domingo gradually expanded his repertoire to encompass dramatic
Speaker 1: roles that demanded greater vocal weight and interpretive sophistication. His
Speaker 1: willingness to tackle challenging new works, including contemporary operas by
Speaker 1: composers like John Adams and Daniel Catan demonstrated how established
Speaker 1: artists could contribute to opera ongoing evolution rather than simply
Speaker 1: recycling past successes. Domingo's transition from tenour to baritone roles
Speaker 1: in his later career revealed remarkable musical intelligence and adaptability.
Speaker 1: Rather than attempting to maintain his youthful vocal qualities through
Speaker 1: artificial means, he embraced the natural changes that occur in
Speaker 1: aging voices and found new repertoire that suited his evolved capabilities.
Speaker 1: This approach to career management offers valuable lessons for younger
Speaker 1: singers about the importance of honest self assessment and artistic
Speaker 1: growth throughout a performer's development. The emergence of Renee Fleming
Speaker 1: as America's most prominent operatic soprano coincided with important changes
Speaker 1: in how opera singers build and maintain careers in the
Speaker 1: contemporary cultural landscape. Fleming's success demonstrates the importance of versatility
Speaker 1: in today's musical marketplace, as she has performed everything from
Speaker 1: Mozart and Strauss to contemporary American composers and popular music
Speaker 1: crossover projects. Her ability to maintain vocal excellence across diverse
Speaker 1: repertoire while building a recognizable public persona through recordings, television appearances,
Speaker 1: and social media engagement. Represents a new model of operatic
Speaker 1: stardom adapted to twenty first century realities. Fleming's interpretive approach
Speaker 1: emphasizes the intellectual aspects of operatic performance, bringing scholarly preparation
Speaker 1: and literary sensitivity to roles that lesser singers might approach
Speaker 1: purely intuitively. Her work with contemporary composers like Andre Preevan
Speaker 1: and Brad Meldau has expanded opera's boundaries while demonstrating that
Speaker 1: traditional vocal training can adapt to new musical languages and
Speaker 1: performance contexts. This intellectual approach to repertoire development ensures that
Speaker 1: Fleming's contributions to operatic culture extend beyond her own performances
Speaker 1: to influence how future generations of singers understand their artistic responsibilities.
Speaker 1: The question of what makes a voice operatic extends beyond
Speaker 1: mere size or technical capability to encompass qualities that are
Speaker 1: difficult to quantify but immediately recognizable to experienced listeners. Opera
Speaker 1: singers must possess vocal instruments capable of projecting over full
Speaker 1: orchestras without electronic amplification while maintaining sufficient flexibility to execute
Speaker 1: complex musical passages and enough interpretive range to convey subtle
Speaker 1: emotional nuances. These requirements eliminate the vast majority of naturally
Speaker 1: gifted singers from serious consideration for major operatic careers. Beyond
Speaker 1: these basic technical requirements, great opera singers possess what I
Speaker 1: call vocal charisma, an indefinable quality that makes their sound
Speaker 1: and immediately distinctive and emotionally compelling. This characteristic cannot be
Speaker 1: taught or acquired through practice alone, but seems to emerge
Speaker 1: from the unique interaction between an individual's physical vocal apparatus,
Speaker 1: psychological makeup, and artistic sensibility. Singers like Callous, Pavarotti and
Speaker 1: Fleming possess this quality in abundance, which explains why their
Speaker 1: recordings remain compelling decades after they were made. The demands
Speaker 1: of operatic performance extend far beyond vocal considerations. To encompass
Speaker 1: physical stamina, dramatic ability, musical intelligence, and psychological resilience, opera
Speaker 1: singers must memorize hours of complex music in multiple languages
Speaker 1: while developing detailed character interpretations that remain consistent across numerous performances,
Speaker 1: they must maintain peak physical condition to support the breathing
Speaker 1: techniques required for sustained vocal output while managing the emotional
Speaker 1: intensity necessary for convincing dramatic portrayal. The psychological pressures of
Speaker 1: operatic careers can be overwhelming, as singers face constant critical
Speaker 1: evaluation from audiences, critics, and industry professionals who possess sophisticated
Speaker 1: understanding of vocal technique and interpretive tradition. A single poor
Speaker 1: performance can damage a reputation built over decades, while the
Speaker 1: physical nature of vocal production means that illness, fatigue, or
Speaker 1: emotional stress can have immediate and devastating effects on performance quality.
Speaker 1: These pressures help explain why operatic culture has produced so
Speaker 1: many legendary feuds, scandals, and personal dramas alongside its artistic achievements.
Speaker 1: The training required to develop operatic voices typically begins in
Speaker 1: childhood or adolescence and continues throughout a singer's active career.
Speaker 1: Unlike other musical instruments, the human voice cannot be practiced
Speaker 1: separately from the body that produces it, making vocal development
Speaker 1: an intensely personal process that affects every aspect of a
Speaker 1: singer's life. The relationship between teacher and student in vocal
Speaker 1: instruction often resembles therapy or spiritual guidance more than conventional
Speaker 1: music lessons, as students must learn to coordinate complex physical
Speaker 1: processes while managing the emotional vulnerability inherent in vocal expression.
Speaker 1: The business aspects of operatic careers have become increasingly complex
Speaker 1: as the classical music industry has adapted to changing economic
Speaker 1: realities and audience preferences. Contemporary opera singers must function as
Speaker 1: entrepreneurs as well as artists, managing recording contracts, concert bookings,
Speaker 1: and media appearances while maintaining the intensive practice schedules necessary
Speaker 1: for vocal developopment. Social media and digital marketing have created
Speaker 1: new opportunities for artists to build audiences directly, but they
Speaker 1: have also increased the pressure to maintain public personas that
Speaker 1: may conflict with the private focus required for serious artistic development.
Speaker 1: The internationalization of operatic culture means that successful singers must
Speaker 1: be prepared to perform in multiple languages and adapt to
Speaker 1: different national performance traditions and audience expectations. A singer might
Speaker 1: perform Verdi in Italian at Lascala, Wagner in German at
Speaker 1: Bayreuth and Contemporary American Opera in English at the Metropolitan
Speaker 1: Opera within a single season, each venue, requiring different approaches
Speaker 1: to vocal production, dramatic interpretation, and audience engagement. The emergence
Speaker 1: of historically informed performance practice has created additional challenges and
Speaker 1: opportunities for contemporary singer as audiences and critics increasingly expect
Speaker 1: performers to demonstrate knowledge of period appropriate performance styles. This
Speaker 1: scholarly approach to repertoire requires singers to study not just
Speaker 1: the music itself, but also the cultural context in which
Speaker 1: it was created and the performance practices of earlier eras.
Speaker 1: While this intellectual rigor has enriched operatic performance in many ways,
Speaker 1: it has also created additional pressure on singers, who must
Speaker 1: balance historical authenticity with personal expression. The development of new
Speaker 1: operatic works continues to create opportunities for adventurous singers willing
Speaker 1: to collaborate with living composers in developing new repertoire. These
Speaker 1: projects require different skills than performing established master works, as
Speaker 1: singers must help composers understand vocal capabilities and limitations while
Speaker 1: developing interpretive approaches to music that lack established performance traditions.
Speaker 1: The most successful contemporary opera singers have learned to balance
Speaker 1: respect for traditional repertoire with openness to new musical experiences
Speaker 1: and collaborative creative processes. The relationship between opera singers and
Speaker 1: recording technology has fundamentally altered how vocal artistry is preserved, transmitted,
Speaker 1: and evaluated. Early recordings from the beginning of the twentieth
Speaker 1: century provide fascinating glimpses into performance practices that might otherwise
Speaker 1: have been lost, revealing that singers of earlier eras often
Speaker 1: employed techniques and interpretive approaches quite different from contemporary standards.
Speaker 1: The development of high fidelity recording technology has created both
Speaker 1: opportunities and pressures for singers, allowing their performances to be
Speaker 1: studied in minute detail, while also creating unrealistic expectations for
Speaker 1: technical perfection in live performance. The emergence of historically informed
Speaker 1: performance practice has created additional layers of complexity for contemporary
Speaker 1: singers working in baroque and classical repertoire. Modern performers must
Speaker 1: navigate between scholarly understanding of historical vocal techniques and contemporary
Speaker 1: esthetic preferences, often requiring them to modify their natural vocal
Speaker 1: production to achieve period appropriate sound while maintaining the projection
Speaker 1: and stamina necessary for modern opera house acoustics. This scholarly
Speaker 1: approach to performance has enriched our understanding of operatic tradition
Speaker 1: while creating new challenges that earlier generations of singers never faced.
Speaker 1: The psychology of operatic performance involves unique challenges that distinguish
Speaker 1: it from other forms of musical or theatrical expression. Opera
Speaker 1: singers must maintain technical control over complex vocal production while
Speaker 1: similar taneously embodying dramatic characters experiencing intense emotional states. This
Speaker 1: dual consciousness, requiring both analytical precision and intuitive expression, demands
Speaker 1: extraordinary mental discipline and emotional intelligence. The greater singers develop
Speaker 1: sophisticated strategies for managing this psychological complexity, learning to access
Speaker 1: genuine emotion while maintaining the technical control necessary for vocal security.
Speaker 1: The social dynamics within opera companies create additional pressures and
Speaker 1: opportunities that shape individual careers and artistic development. The hierarchical
Speaker 1: structure of opera houses with established stars, emerging artists, and
Speaker 1: supporting players can create competitive environments that both inspire excellence
Speaker 1: and generate destructive rivalries. Successful opera singers must learn to
Speaker 1: navigate these complex social structures while maintaining focus on their
Speaker 1: artistic development and long term career goals. The international nature
Speaker 1: of contemporary operatic careers requires singers to develop cultural adaptability
Speaker 1: that extends far beyond language skills. Performing in different countries
Speaker 1: means adapting to varying audience expectations, critical standards, and professional
Speaker 1: practices while maintaining consistent artistic standards. A singer might encounter
Speaker 1: wildly different production concepts for the same role in different
Speaker 1: opera houses, requiring flexibility and creative problem solving skills that
Speaker 1: complement their vocal and dramatic abilities. The aging process presents
Speaker 1: unique challenges for opera singers, whose instruments undergo continuous physiological
Speaker 1: changes throughout their careers. Unlike instrumental music usicians who can
Speaker 1: maintain their technical abilities well into advanced age, singers must
Speaker 1: adapt to inevitable changes in vocal capability while finding repertoire
Speaker 1: appropriate to their evolving instruments. The most successful singers develop
Speaker 1: sophisticated understanding of vocal anatomy and physiology, working with teachers
Speaker 1: and coaches to modify their technique as needed, while exploring
Speaker 1: new repertoire that suits their changing capabilities. The emergence of
Speaker 1: countertenor voices in the modern operatic landscape represents one of
Speaker 1: the most significant developments in contemporary vocal artistry. Singers like
Speaker 1: Andrea schol, Philippe Jarusque, and David Daniels have revived interest
Speaker 1: in baroque repertoire originally written for castrato singers, while also
Speaker 1: inspiring contemporary composers to write new works exploring the unique,
Speaker 1: expressive possibilities of high male voices. This development demonstrates opera's
Speaker 1: continuing capacity for renewal and expansion while honoring its historical traditions.
Speaker 1: The role of opera singers as cultural ambassadors has become
Speaker 1: increasingly important as classical music institutions work to maintain relevance
Speaker 1: in diversifying cultural landscapes. High profile singers often serve as
Speaker 1: spokespersons for opera companies and classical music organizations, using their
Speaker 1: celebrity status to advocate for arts education and cultural funding,
Speaker 1: while introducing operatic art to new audiences through media appearances
Speaker 1: and crossover projects. This public responsibility requires skills that extend
Speaker 1: far beyond vocal and dramatic ability, including media savvy, cultural sensitivity,
Speaker 1: and entrepreneurial thinking. The development of specialized repertoire for different
Speaker 1: voice types has created both opportunities and limitations for contemporary singers.
Speaker 1: The Baroque revival has created new career paths for singers
Speaker 1: specializing in early music, while the growth of contemporary opera
Speaker 1: provides opportunities for artists willing to tackle challenging new works. However,
Speaker 1: this specialization can also limit singer's versatility and market appeal,
Speaker 1: requiring careful career planning and artistic risk taking to maintain
Speaker 1: broad based appeal while developing distinctive artistic identities. The physical
Speaker 1: demands of modern opera production, which often incorporate elaborate staging concepts,
Speaker 1: multimedia elements, and unconventional performance spaces, require singers to develop
Speaker 1: skills that extend far beyond traditional vocal and dramatic training.
Speaker 1: Contemporary productions might require performers to sing while suspended in air,
Speaker 1: interact with video projections, or navigate complt lex set pieces
Speaker 1: that would have been unimaginable to earlier generations of opera singers.
Speaker 1: These theatrical innovations have expanded opera's expressive possibilities, while creating
Speaker 1: new challenges for performers who must maintain vocal excellence under
Speaker 1: increasingly demanding physical circumstances. The business aspects of operatic careers
Speaker 1: have become increasingly complex as the classical music industry has
Speaker 1: adapted to changing economic realities and audience preferences. Contemporary opera
Speaker 1: singers must function as entrepreneurs as well as artists, managing
Speaker 1: recording contracts, concert bookings, and media appearances while maintaining the
Speaker 1: intensive practice schedules necessary for vocal development. Social media and
Speaker 1: digital marketing have created new opportunities for artists to build
Speaker 1: audiences directly, but they have also increased the pressure to
Speaker 1: maintain public personas that may conflict with the private focus
Speaker 1: required for serious artistic development. The mentalship traditions within operatic
Speaker 1: culture play crucial roles in transmitting knowledge and maintaining artistic
Speaker 1: standards across generations. Established singers often serve as teachers and
Speaker 1: coaches for younger artists, sharing not only technical knowledge but
Speaker 1: also insights into the professional and personal challenges of operatic careers.
Speaker 1: These relationships can be transformative for emerging singers, providing guidance
Speaker 1: and support that extends far beyond formal instruction while helping
Speaker 1: to maintain the continuity of operatic tradition. The diversity and
Speaker 1: inclusion initiatives within contemporary opera have created new opportunities while
Speaker 1: raising important questions about representation and cultural authenticity. Opera companies
Speaker 1: are increasingly committed to casting singers from diverse backgrounds while
Speaker 1: developing new works that reflect contemporary society's multiculture reality. These
Speaker 1: efforts have enriched operatic art by bringing fresh perspectives and
Speaker 1: new vocal traditions into the mainstream, while also creating challenges
Speaker 1: for traditional repertoire that was created within very different cultural contexts.
Speaker 1: The scientific understanding of vocal production has advanced dramatically in
Speaker 1: recent decades, providing singers with sophisticated knowledge about how their
Speaker 1: instruments function and how to maintain vocal health throughout demanding careers.
Speaker 1: Modern voice teachers incorporate insights from acoustics, anatomy, and psychology
Speaker 1: into their instruction, while singers work with medical specialists to
Speaker 1: address vocal problems and optimize their performance capabilities. This scientific
Speaker 1: approach has improved vocal longevity and reduced career ending injuries,
Speaker 1: while also creating new expectations for technical precision and vocal consistency.
Speaker 1: The emotional labour involved in operatic performance extends far beyond
Speaker 1: what audiences typically recognize, as singers must repeatedly access and
Speaker 1: express intense emotional states while maintaining the technical control necessary
Speaker 1: for vocal excellence. This psychological demand can be particularly challenging
Speaker 1: in repertoire dealing with trauma, violence, or extreme psychological states,
Speaker 1: requiring performers to develop sophisticated emotional regulation skills and support
Speaker 1: systems to maintain their mental health and artistic authenticity. As
Speaker 1: we conclude our exploration of opera's greatest personalities and the
Speaker 1: extraordinary demands they face, consider how these individuals serve as
Speaker 1: bridges between the artistic visions of composers and the emotional
Speaker 1: needs of audiences. The greatest opera singers possess the rare
Speaker 1: ability to disappear into their roles while simultaneously maintaining the
Speaker 1: technical control necess for vocal excellence. They must be both
Speaker 1: servants of the musical text and independent artists capable of
Speaker 1: bringing fresh insights to familiar repertoire. The continuing emergence of
Speaker 1: new vocal talents from around the world ensures that opera's
Speaker 1: tradition of great singing will continue to evolve and surprise us.
Speaker 1: Young singers today face different challenges than their predecessors, but
Speaker 1: they also possess advantages, including improved teaching methods, better understanding
Speaker 1: of vocal health, and access to recorded examples of great
Speaker 1: performance from throughout opera's history. The art form's future depends
Speaker 1: on their ability to absorb these accumulated wisdom while finding
Speaker 1: their own distinctive voices and interpretive approaches. The drama surrounding
Speaker 1: operatic personalities serves an important cultural function beyond mere entertainment,
Speaker 1: revealing fundamental truths about the relationship betwe beween artistic achievement
Speaker 1: and human complexity. The greatest opera singers remind us that
Speaker 1: transcendent art emerges from the intersection of extraordinary talent, rigorous training,
Speaker 1: and authentic life experience. Their stories, whether triumphant or tragic,
Speaker 1: illustrate the heights of human achievement possible when natural gifts
Speaker 1: are combined with passionate dedication to artistic excellence. In our
Speaker 1: age of manufactured celebrity and digital manipulation, opera singers represent
Speaker 1: authentic artistic achievement that cannot be faked or artificially enhanced,
Speaker 1: serving as powerful reminders of what human beings can accomplish
Speaker 1: through discipline, courage, and unwavering commitment to artistic truth. Thanks
Speaker 1: for listening. Please subscribe and remember that this program was
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