1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin, and you were listening to Here's 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: the Thing from My Heart Radio. Every other week this fall, 3 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: we will be airing a rebroadcast of some of my 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: favorite episodes from our archives. This week we're featuring two 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: super novas from the world of classical music, acclaimed soprano 6 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: Renee Fleming and the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzac Proman. 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: First my interview with Itzac Proman from two thousand nineteen. 8 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: This is it sac Perlman's exquisite vibrato on Bach's first 9 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: violin Sonata. He was mature by the time he made 10 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: this recording, thirty years into a career year that started 11 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: before his bar Mitzvah. Perlman doesn't like the word prodigy, 12 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: but it's hard to avoid. At three, he was practicing 13 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: scales on a toy violin. At four, he was studying 14 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: with a great master. At thirteen, he was whisked away 15 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: from his native Israel to the United States to be 16 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: on the Ed Sullivan Show. He won admission to Juilliard 17 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: that same year. From prodigy to master and finally national treasure. 18 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: For sixty years, his life was a blur of world tours, 19 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: and TV specials, playing for the Queen, and given a 20 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: place of honor on the program for Obama's inauguration. Yet 21 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: it's not Perlman had a difficult childhood, stricken by polio 22 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: in the war torn early days of israel statehood. Now 23 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: he gives back at every opportunity, including through the proman 24 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: music program founded by his wife Toby. The summer school 25 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: is located on idyllic Shelter Island, giving talented kids of 26 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: every background the chance to study with the world's greatest musicians. 27 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: You'll meet Toby and a couple of former students at 28 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: the end of the program. You'll even hear the students 29 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: play a virtuoso movement from Mendelssohn's Actete. The whole crew 30 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: joined me live on stage at the n y U 31 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: Screwball Center in Greenwich Village. I always ask people who 32 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: have a career similar to your career, if you understood 33 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: they have career similar to Mike. Well, not really, I 34 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: actually know there aren't many. There aren't many, but anybody 35 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: but anybody who was a young person who especially in 36 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: this world during where they cultivate them very young, and 37 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 1: in sports too, where they get these kids when they're 38 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: ten years old, and they kind of know that they're 39 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: heading to the NBA or the NFL or whatever. But 40 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: you're a very young child, and I'm wondering, do you 41 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: know what you're going through when you're a young child, 42 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: or you're too busy doing it to understand what you're 43 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: inside of when you were getting shot through? This rocket 44 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: did become the famous well when I would look when 45 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: I was young, Uh, my parents thought that I had 46 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: a good ear because I could repeat everything, you know, 47 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: by singing it. And then I said I want to 48 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: play the violin, and I think they told me that 49 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: I had a nice sound. So that was the, if 50 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: you want to call it, the unusual thing about the 51 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: way I played. I had a nice sound. You were 52 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: playing on what didn't you like? A toy violin? Or 53 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: But I just started with a toy, which I didn't like, 54 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: so I quit that, and then I was playing on something. 55 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: I don't remember what it was. It wasn't anything spectacular. 56 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: I started really when I was like almost five four 57 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: four and three quarters almost. You know, why what made 58 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: you do I want it? I wanted I like the sound. 59 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: I love the sound of the violin. I heard it 60 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: on the radio, and I said, that's what I want 61 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: to do. Simple, that's what I want to do. And 62 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: and there's no explanation. You know, everybody has a different 63 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: thing that they hear and it sort of grabs their imagination. 64 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: And violence sound was that and I think it was 65 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: hyper So it was pretty good for grabbing the imagination. 66 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: You know, at what age do you've started a little 67 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: tougher with them with their how old? Well, look, everybody 68 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: has their own sort of schedule of development. You know. 69 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: Sometimes you hear somebody at the age of twelve who 70 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: just sound basic, not very very good, but you hear 71 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: something there, and so you have to know what's to 72 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: say and what not to say. I'd like to just 73 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: insert that. You know, what's the great secret of a 74 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: good teacher is not only knowing what to say, but 75 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: knowing what not to say, and especially what not to say. 76 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: When somebody that has great gift and great musical musical 77 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 1: natural nous and those that have that great gifts in 78 00:04:55,240 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: that naturally leave them alone. Do you leave them alone? No? No, 79 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: you don't want to hurt them. No, it's not their feelings, 80 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: it's you don't want to fox around. You know, you 81 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: don't want to, you know, just let the natural ability 82 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: to natural talent develop and usually things get better as 83 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: you grow older, you know, without having to really nitpick 84 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: with everything. And that's that's I find is a danger, 85 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: because you know, when the teacher has such incredible talent 86 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: in front of them, you know, they want to give 87 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: you their old so then they become too picky. Leave 88 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: it alone, Just leave it alone. During what years did 89 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 1: you study with gold Guard? I studied with her from 90 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: the age of five until I was thirteen. You studied 91 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: with for eight years, eight years, and then you came 92 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: to the United States to do Sullivan when you were 93 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: thirteen years old. Then when you came to do so 94 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: I find that believing. When you came to do Sullivan 95 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: and you're thirteen years old, did you have any idea 96 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: who Sullivan was? That's what your first idea. It's a 97 00:05:55,839 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: weird exactly. No. No, I didn't know how how you 98 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: looked or anything. I just I just in Israel they 99 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: talked about because when we came to Israel to audition 100 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of people to go on his show. 101 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: They said there they didn't call him Sullivan. They called 102 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: him Sullivan that's Sullivan. Sat Sullivan. Uh, that's Sullivan, that's Sullivan. Oh, television, 103 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 1: I said, okay, television. At the minute I heard television 104 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: said I mean so I so I auditioned, you know, 105 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: and then I was chosen. You know that there was 106 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: there was sent people over to audition musicians. Yes, Israel, Yes, 107 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: because he wanted at Sullivan wanted a show only of 108 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: the isra Eli pard of my accent, only of the 109 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: isra Eli people. So it was a variety great Jew 110 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: and coming back to the homeland and the kids. Ever, well, 111 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: there's some people thought his name was at Solomon, but 112 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: we changed to at Sullivan. It might have but but 113 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 1: you know, so the whole show was an Israeli variety show. 114 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: You've seen this show. You know he had everybody had 115 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: a monkey dancing, and then he had somebody playing the violin. 116 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: And so in this particular case, it was a pair 117 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: of folk singers that there was to know that we 118 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: didn't have topo and we didn't have them, but we 119 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: had a ballet dancer was fourteen. We had a coloratura 120 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: soprano from Yemen. I think I was in the Department 121 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: of Human Interest. Story or chubby story I don't know 122 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: what I was what I was, but I was cute, 123 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: I think, sorry, very cute. I was cute. Thank you 124 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: so much, Thank you so cute. I know when you 125 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: come over you've never been to the US before, your 126 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: mother comes with you. Yes, and you perform on Sullivan. Yes, 127 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: you remember what that was like to win the show. 128 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: It was slightly exciting. Uh, I didn't know, No, it 129 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: was it was very exciting, you know, and so I 130 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: I kind of played and it was very It was 131 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: over very quickly, you know, because I did the last 132 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: moment of the Medicine Concerto and they cut it down 133 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: to about I think two two minutes and forty five 134 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: seconds because that was it. And uh, and he introduced me. 135 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: He was a lovely gentleman, really very very nice. Is 136 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: that what happened after you did Sullivan? Uh? We went 137 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: on a tour in the US, The entire group that 138 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: did Sullivan. We went on a on a tour long months. Yeah, 139 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: about three or three or four months. Yeah. Yeah. And 140 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: at the end of the and at the end of 141 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: the tour, I went well, the main thing the challenge 142 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: was to get into the Juilliard School, and that was 143 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: one of it it was it was it was that a 144 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: plan for you to go to Juilliard. Yes, when you 145 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: were back in Israel, before Sullivan, before before Slight, it 146 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: was a dream to go to Juilliard, but Sullivan made it. Yes, 147 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: it was a very Juilliard. And there was a teacher 148 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: there who taught Julia that I heard about in Israel, 149 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: by name of Galamian. And so we said, one of 150 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 1: these days, maybe you'll study with glam and Ivan Glaman. 151 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: Yet his assistant at that time was Dorothy Delay, and 152 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: she came and heard me play, and she thought that 153 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,839 Speaker 1: I had a good chance, had a good sound. I 154 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: had a good sound. You know that that was my 155 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: forte is the sound. But then you were about fourteen 156 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: thirting half fourteen run around the same sound. So what 157 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: was it like for you? You never lived in New York. 158 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: And again this idea of being like shot out of 159 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 1: a cannon to have the spectacular career, this big ticket career. 160 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: You want thirteen years old, you want Sullivan, You're touring 161 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: the country, You're gonna go to Juilliard. What was your 162 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: recollection that was it intimidating or you don't have time 163 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: to think about that? I didn't really think about it 164 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: because it wasn't really look it wasn't like a professional career. 165 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: It was a specialized career, you know, in other ways 166 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: to play for It was an Ed Sullivan concert. It 167 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: wasn't like I was playing a recital someplace, you know, 168 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: or I was making my debut in Carnegie Hall or 169 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: anything like that. It was a specialized kind of concerts, 170 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: you know. And used to play um also, I used 171 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:05,959 Speaker 1: to play for Jewish benefits, you know, for the u 172 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: J And they knew about me, you know, because the 173 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: whole organization, the Jewish organization knew about this Sullivan program. 174 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: So they used some of the people for fundraising. And 175 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: I was, you know, sometimes I was I would be 176 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: called at the telephone. I would be hired to do 177 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,199 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes or ten minutes at the end of the fundraising, 178 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: you know, and I would appear probably like eleven o'clock 179 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: at night, you know, and I would play the Nygun 180 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: Bay Block and the Flight of the Bumblebee and that 181 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,599 Speaker 1: was it. And then I would leave and and I 182 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:37,959 Speaker 1: would get I would get paid, you know, and it 183 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: was it was great, you know. I played while the 184 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: people were eating their desserts. And of kosher food and 185 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: things like that. It wasn't the same people liked. One night, 186 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: you do Flight of the Bumblebee, and somebody says he 187 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: was better at Jerry's bar mitzvah, so much better. I 188 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: never did bar mitzvah's. I never did bar mitzvahs, and 189 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: I didn't and I didn't do weddings dding no Vedic's absolutely. 190 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: You know, now, when you leave and you come to 191 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 1: to the United States, when you left for the Sullivan trip, 192 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: was it assumed you were going to go home? What 193 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: did you kind of know? You knew you weren't going home. 194 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: I knew that I was. I was going to stay. 195 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: And my dad stayed for about a year in Israel 196 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: and finished selling the apartment and thus in the business, 197 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: and then he came and joined us. I even remember, 198 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: you know, I did not see my dad for a year, 199 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: and the only way to get in touch was through letters. 200 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: And then a bit later on, you know, maybe after 201 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,959 Speaker 1: about five, six, seven, eight months, we actually were able 202 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: to arrange for a long distance call from New York 203 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: to Tel Aviv, you know. And at that time, so 204 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: you're talking about nineteen fifty nine, so it was like 205 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: ten o'clock in the morning, you know, on the phone 206 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: rings and I hello, huh hello, that's the connection, you know, 207 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: that was the connection. And you know we had absolutely 208 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: and we had in our street where I lived, we 209 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: had no phone. So what we had was there was 210 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: a grocery store that had the telephone. So whoever want 211 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: to make a long distance called, we'll go to the 212 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: grocery store and we pick up. So that's that's what 213 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: you knew you were going to stay. Yes, yes, I 214 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: learned the language from watching TV and you know, listening 215 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: to the Yankee baseball. Spoken very little English and now hardly. 216 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,719 Speaker 1: I took a class of English in Israel. I think 217 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: I failed. But it's amazing how quickly you learned, you know, 218 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: when you hear the language around you all the time, 219 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: and you were you went to Julian without family years. 220 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 1: Let's see, until I think nineteen or I was nineteen 221 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: or twenty, I think, because I because I still I 222 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: remember still uh doing answerts and having to go to class, 223 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: and you know sometimes I was late to a class 224 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: and I got hell to pay, you know, because I 225 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: just took a flight from Los Angeles. Give me a break, 226 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know. But you didn't go an 227 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: English class. You know you have to be there. So 228 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: but I was, you know, so I did both things 229 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: for a while and then I graduated. And where do 230 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,600 Speaker 1: you think your sound comes from? I don't know. I mean, 231 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: I really don't know. It's it's something that I hear. 232 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: You had polio old. I had pol when I was 233 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: four and three quarters. So do you find that music 234 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,439 Speaker 1: become you imbue that with even more of your being 235 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:37,199 Speaker 1: in your spirit because you were limited in the things 236 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: you could do as a child. I don't think. So 237 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: I'm getting everything wrong with you everything, but that's not it. 238 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: But but you're batting the los good. But you're doing good, 239 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, because you know no, it's no, seriously, 240 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: I just I don't think so. I mean, I mean, 241 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: I couldn't say to you, well, let me see how 242 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: I'm playing without napolio, and now le's see how I'm 243 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: playing with the polio. I can't. I can't see what 244 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: I want. But I'm wondering if you that Okay, Sorry, 245 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: I mean giving you such a hard time. So I'm 246 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: so sorry. I mean, I knew this was coming. I've 247 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: been around you a few times, it's always it's always 248 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: an obstacle. Course, but anyway, the the but but you know, 249 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: what I'm saying is is that do you think the 250 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: spirit of the person is that relevant? No? I don't know. 251 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: I love to watch people who are famously like whether 252 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: it's there actors or or people in sports, and sort 253 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: of try and guess what kind of people they are 254 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: in private, you know, and uh, being good and being 255 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: a wonderful person and being a sort of an agreeable 256 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: sympathic a kind of person is not necessarily together. You know. 257 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: I remember my wife always, you know, sometimes we go 258 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: to a concert and we hear somebody who's absolutely amazing, 259 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: and I said to become on, let's go backstage and 260 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: say hello, and she said, I'd than not. You know, 261 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: I don't want to be disappointed all the way this 262 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: person plays. Just let's let's not do it. Let me 263 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: just relax and just enjoy it. Uh. You many many 264 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: people who conduct, and I'd love to get your opinion 265 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: of this. Many people who conduct are people who have 266 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: good careers as a soloist. They played typically the violino, 267 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: the piano, but they don't necessarily have great careers. And 268 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: then but someone taps them on the shoulders there, or 269 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: you keep time very well, and they moved them on. No. 270 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: But I mean, I mean, every every one that I 271 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: would talk to would say that. To me, I'd say, uh, 272 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: you know, doti this one they say. Somebody walked up 273 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: to me when I was like ten years old and said, 274 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: you keep time very well, and they moved them into 275 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: the conducting program. What happened, They moved into the viola section. 276 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: M that's our ad for the show. No, no, no, no, 277 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: I might study that. Viola jokes are no longer applicable 278 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: because the level of viola playing has really risen seriously, 279 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: so that you said should be that too. No, it's 280 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: really viola jokes. You know, used to be that the 281 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: level was a little bit below, but right now it's brilliant. 282 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: I mean, so many brilliant viola players. So it's not 283 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: but it's still funny, you know, violin legend. It's a 284 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: Pruman has a special place in his heart for the 285 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: New York Pilharmonic. He and then music director Alan Gilbert 286 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: teamed up for the Phil's opening Galla a few years ago. 287 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: Here films our guest soloist. It's a filman followed by 288 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: music directors an filmat Alan Delbert Gilbert found out he 289 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: got the job from the Phil's president, Zarin Meta, after 290 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: a particularly miserable bedtime for his toddlers. We had had 291 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: a torturous night and they'd finally fall on sleep, and 292 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: I got a call from Zarin Meta just after they 293 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: had fallen asleep, and he said, I'd like to invite 294 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: you to be our next music director. I said, my 295 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: kids just fell asleep. I can't talk to him. But 296 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,439 Speaker 1: then I called him back and we had scene in 297 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: a movie where guys like more than being the music 298 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: director of the Philharmonica, I want my kids to go 299 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: to sleep. Clink totally. He will. We all know the 300 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: madness of that. The rest of my conversation with Conductor 301 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: Alan Gilbert at Here's the Thing dot Org coming up. 302 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: It sucked Perman on Alan and Gilbert's art, what makes 303 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: a great conductor? Plus his wife Toby Perlman on their 304 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: music school and the next generation of great masters, takes 305 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 1: on Mendelssohn and my questions. This is Alec Baldwin and 306 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 1: you were listening to Here's the Thing. It sacked. Perlman 307 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: didn't bring his famous Strata Varius. He says playing takes 308 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: more effort now than it used to. As you get older, 309 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: everything becomes more difficult than more demanding. Uh oh, are 310 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: you kidding me? But you know, if you do a 311 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 1: great piece, you can do it over and over again 312 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: and no matter how I mean for me. I mean 313 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 1: a perfect example is debatedpen Violent Concerto, which is not 314 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: getting any easier as you get older, because but it's not, 315 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:19,400 Speaker 1: but it's very, very difficult when you're young as well. 316 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 1: It's I call it when when my students start the piece, 317 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: I say welcome to the lifetime journey, because that's what 318 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: it is. You know, you start to play and it's 319 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: pretty good, and then you played again, and you played 320 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: again and you grow up with it. So that's that's 321 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 1: what music is about. In the minute you think musically 322 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: like that, especially when you repeat something you're on the 323 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: right track. Instead of saying, oh, I have to do 324 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 1: that again, but you know, you have to look at 325 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: the music and you have to say, this is gonna 326 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: be yet another experience. You know, it's it's gonna be 327 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: one way or one or another way, but it's not 328 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: going to be a repetition of what I did a 329 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: week ago or a month ago. When you want to 330 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: sit down, assuming that you do this, I don't want 331 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: to assume. But when you want to listen to someone 332 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: else play the violin that you admire and you admire 333 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: their sound, give us an example of somebody you listen 334 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: to for pure tone. The first person that comes to 335 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: mind is Friz Chrysler. You know. You you listen to 336 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:27,719 Speaker 1: old recordings of of his and you think, you know 337 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: those days that you know, there wasn't there wasn't the 338 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: great advancement in technology and so and that it's that 339 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 1: you you hear scratches, you hear the tone, and you say, 340 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: oh my god, that is something unbelievable, you know, or 341 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 1: you know, menu And had a fantastic sound. I mean, 342 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: everybody had a different kind of sound, but sometimes sounds 343 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 1: it's apples and oranges, you know. I mean, but that 344 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,880 Speaker 1: the first person that that I hear of that kind 345 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 1: of sound is his. You conduct, yes, and the when? 346 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 1: When when did that they? And why it began? I 347 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: tell her it's very funny. It began with the Proman 348 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: Music program. Uh my wife who started this whole thing. 349 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: She said to me, we're going to have a string orchestra, 350 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: could you coach them? So I didn't think of myself 351 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,919 Speaker 1: as a conductor. I thought myself as a coach. So 352 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: I picked up at pencil and conducted with the pencil, 353 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: you know, because if you conduct with the baton, you're 354 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: a conductor. With a pencil, you're more of a teacher, 355 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: you see that, I think. And anyway, so that's actually 356 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 1: when it started and I got some interesting again. I 357 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: got some nice sounds from the orchestra. Conducting I find 358 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: very mysterious, you know, because you can have four or 359 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: five conductors who are absolutely excellent, and each one gives 360 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: you a downbeat, and the orchestra will sound different with 361 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: each What do you attribute that to? I have no idea, 362 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 1: Thank god, what do you think makes a good conductor? 363 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: Oh well, obviously knowing the score and knowing all of 364 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: this things, but in the final analysis, there is a 365 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: mystery as to what makes somebody conductor phrase in the 366 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: orchestra play a certain way. I don't understand that. You know, 367 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:11,160 Speaker 1: a great conductor should understand what he or she wants 368 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: to hear from the orchestra. So if I do, let's 369 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: say a bit of a Brahms symphony. What do you 370 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 1: say to a great orchestra who have performed that hundreds 371 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: of times? How do you get the orchestra to hear 372 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: pop up up and say, hey, that's really good stuff, 373 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: as as as opposed to I again, you know, So 374 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,199 Speaker 1: that's that's that's the difference. Well, it's your it's my 375 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: own rendition of what I want, what I want to hear. Now, 376 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,880 Speaker 1: tell everybody the idea. How did the school started? It 377 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: was Toby's idea, my wife Toby's idea. It was her 378 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 1: dream because we met in a school in a summer 379 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 1: program during during Juliard, sure, of course, and so she 380 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: started this whole thing, you know. And it was actually 381 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: twenty five years ago. So this are on fifth anniversary 382 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:09,719 Speaker 1: for the program music program, and yes and uh and 383 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: it was it was basically for strings, and I think 384 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: we had kids come to our house in Long Island 385 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: and practice scales and you know, like at eight o'clock 386 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: in the morning, you said, Toby thought that was the 387 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,719 Speaker 1: greatest alarm clock. And but we are now in Shelter Island. 388 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:33,679 Speaker 1: The people, whether whether it's the young program or the 389 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: eighteen program, are they is it free of charge? And 390 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 1: you're raising money to pay for the whole people. We 391 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: never we never, we never refused, We never refused for 392 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: lack of funds. We give a lot of people scholarships 393 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: and scholarships and some uh some more some lessons so on. 394 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 1: Then some if they want to pay, they can pay. 395 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 1: But it really doesn't matter because, you know, the the 396 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: expense of the program is so that even if we 397 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 1: were to charge everybody equally, will still be in the 398 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: in the red severely, severely, believe me, severely. But it's great. 399 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: And the program has not grown on purpose. You know, 400 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,919 Speaker 1: we started with about thirty eight thirty nine kids and 401 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: we still have thirty a thirty nine kids for the 402 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: little program. And it's and and it's amazing, it's crazy. 403 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: It's very difficult to describe unless you go there and 404 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 1: just give the experience. We have kids playing twice a 405 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: week works in progress we call it whips, you know, 406 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: where they try new pieces in front of an audience 407 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,959 Speaker 1: and so on. It's it's it's great and I've been 408 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: listening during the summers. I don't play concerts. I just 409 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,959 Speaker 1: teach there and with with other great, great faculty, and 410 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,360 Speaker 1: we have you know, the philosophy of a lack once 411 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: you're in that program, a lack of competition between the kids. 412 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: You know, they all support each other, and for me, 413 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,360 Speaker 1: that's so important. You know that that you know when 414 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 1: somebody plays well, they're truly happy for them, and when 415 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: somebody messes up, they go and they console them and 416 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 1: they really feel for them. It's it's it's a it's 417 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 1: a real Family's so important, it's a great father. It's 418 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,679 Speaker 1: our problem's wife, Toby Proman, please come and join us, Toby, 419 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: and please welcome Rachel Lee Friday and Mandal Gooseby. No, no, 420 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: we're gonna bring out six other people who've been playing 421 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: the violin since they were eighteen months old. Let's get 422 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: them out here, and then when we're done performing, we're 423 00:24:26,480 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: gonna end. We're gonna end with this music. Can they come? Great? 424 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: That was itsa Proman, his wife and Proman Music program 425 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: founder Toby and their brilliant violin students Rachel Lee Priday 426 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: and Randal Gooseby. The Artists who made up the octet 427 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: were Rachel and Randall, plus Stellick Shan and Kenneth Renshaw 428 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: also on violin, Charley Smith and Joshua Chale on viola, 429 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 1: Nico Olarte Hayes and iach N Sue on cello. The 430 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: piece was the presto from Mendelssohn's arctet Opus twenty in 431 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: E flat major, recorded live at n y US Screwball 432 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 1: Center in Manhattan, and now My Conversation with Renee Fleming 433 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: from two thousand twelve. Renee Fleming has a powerful effect 434 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: on people. Conductor Sir George Shoalty described the opera singer's 435 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: voice as double cream. Garrison Keeler said she made his 436 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: nostrils twitch. New York chef Daniel Blue created a signature 437 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: dessert to honor her. But Renee Fleming is down to earth. 438 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,240 Speaker 1: When the People's Diva, as she's been called, went to 439 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: Paris to rehearse Handle's Alcina, one of her favorite roles, 440 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: she spent most of the first week looking for playgrounds 441 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: for her two young daughters. Renee grew up in Rochester, 442 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: New York, where both her parents were high school music teachers. 443 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: During the first two years of her life, while in 444 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: her playpen, Renee would listen while her mother gave singing lessons. 445 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 1: A few years later, Renee organized a barbershop trio with 446 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 1: her younger sister and brother. One might say Renee Fleming 447 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: was born into music. Often refer to myself as an 448 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: indentured servant because we grew up with it. My parents 449 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: were both We all sang all the time. You take 450 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 1: a family cross country trip and be singing the road 451 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 1: signs and in harmony, and I thought everybody did that. 452 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: I just like, oh, well, this is what families do. 453 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 1: Your friends would get in the car with your family 454 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: and was like, with these crazy Flemings exactly singing to 455 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: the trees, missing to the exit signs. And we talked 456 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: about singing. Did you feel like this was your way 457 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: to communicate with your own parents? Well, interestingly, my dad 458 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: was a big jazz fan. My mother didn't bring music 459 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: home much at all. She wanted to break from it 460 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: when she came home. Other than when we performed, she 461 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 1: prepared us. You know. I think her idea was that 462 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: we would be the next one traps. You know. My father, 463 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: thank god, put the kabashion then and said, I don't 464 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: think so. Um. Let me guess your mother was the 465 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: competitive one. She she was very type AI, you know, 466 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: she's check and my my grandmother and my aunts were 467 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: all like this. I mean, they would come over and 468 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: they just the work ethic was unbelievable. I think I 469 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: work hard. No no, no, no no no. They used to 470 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: look at me and say, you know, and a you're 471 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 1: you really need to step it up. And I see 472 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 1: myself doing the same thing with my two daughters. So 473 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 1: I can't. I sort of can't help it. But the 474 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: music thing, you know, it was just so natural for us, 475 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: and my way of rebelling against it was to find 476 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:17,880 Speaker 1: my own music. So I became a composer in middle school. 477 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,320 Speaker 1: I started writing songs and then play piano, played piano, 478 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,839 Speaker 1: I played guitar. And what kind of music did you write? 479 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 1: You're like Johnny Mitchell was sort of singer what we 480 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:31,360 Speaker 1: call now singer songwriter, But I also wrote art songs 481 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 1: that I actually notated and wrote out that other people sang. 482 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 1: In that time, women weren't particularly encouraged to be composers. 483 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 1: In a different setting, that might have been the direction 484 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: I would have gone in, because I loved it and 485 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 1: it suited my temperament much better than performing. I was 486 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 1: so shy. Performing was so far away from whoeverly was 487 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:54,759 Speaker 1: um A specific opera, the first opera if you can 488 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: recall because I remember the first movie I went to 489 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: see in a movie theater. What was the first opera 490 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:08,360 Speaker 1: that you became a you know, I would say, gosh, 491 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:12,280 Speaker 1: sure Angelica. This is what I remember because my mother 492 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: performed it and we were in the first row, and 493 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:19,600 Speaker 1: this is the Eastman Theater. So first of all, I 494 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 1: was incredibly impressed by the theater, this massive chandelier, you know, 495 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,280 Speaker 1: all the velvet. I mean I took up violin because 496 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: of the velvet in the case. So we were nothing 497 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: if not superficial. I guess, you know. I didn't really 498 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: know anything about the story, but she was crying, and 499 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: she was crying because she was singing about, you know, 500 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: her her dead baby and wanting to be joined with 501 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 1: her baby again, and looking at her three children in 502 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 1: front of her. Somehow, I think that really impressed me. 503 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:50,719 Speaker 1: Did you ever imagine at that time, it in the 504 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:53,879 Speaker 1: middle school and you're seeing this piece, that that would 505 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: be a path for you, that you would end up 506 00:35:55,360 --> 00:36:00,480 Speaker 1: where you are now. Gosh, No, nobody really asked kids 507 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:04,319 Speaker 1: in those days, what do you want exactly? What would 508 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 1: you like to do? You just went along. I know 509 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: so many people in my generation who applied to three 510 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 1: colleges and never gave it much thought. And really, you know, 511 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: the way we raised children now is world's apart from 512 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: how we were raised. How do you feel, we said, 513 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,879 Speaker 1: how do you feel? My parents couldn't give a damn 514 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:25,880 Speaker 1: how I felt. No, Really, the only thing I thought 515 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 1: that I wanted to be was the president. So there 516 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 1: was i'd say, a colonel of ambition there in the 517 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:33,800 Speaker 1: world I was in. It was, you know, doctor lawyer, 518 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,840 Speaker 1: or a few of a more working class background, a 519 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,680 Speaker 1: job that gave you a security and a pension, the 520 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:43,400 Speaker 1: Long Island Railroad, the police department, the fire department. You know, 521 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: you learned very quickly to choose from the menu actor 522 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:51,640 Speaker 1: was not on the menu that was submitted to me. Well, 523 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:53,879 Speaker 1: I wanted to muse again, like my parents, So that's 524 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 1: another thing you did. You followed your parents because you 525 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: couldn't think of anything else to do. And then when 526 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 1: the singing became more interesting, and particularly jazz um, when 527 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,279 Speaker 1: I really found myself through singing with it in a 528 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:12,359 Speaker 1: club every weekend for two and a half years, then 529 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:15,759 Speaker 1: my parents got nervous. Oh, it's so hard, it's too competitive. 530 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 1: What happens when you're you're writing songs, popular music. And 531 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: whenever you know where you said singer songwriter, whether it's 532 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,640 Speaker 1: Carol King or what have you, and you're singing jazz 533 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: in nightclubs, in Rochester clubs, they're knowing Potsdam where I 534 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 1: went to undergraduate. Score is Potsdam a hotbed of jazz. 535 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 1: It's a college hotbed. And the drinking age was twenty one. 536 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,399 Speaker 1: So yes, so we all spent a lot of time 537 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:46,239 Speaker 1: in clubs. In this particular Algiers Pub had very high 538 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 1: quality jazz all the time. And the guys that I 539 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,319 Speaker 1: worked with are are all working musicians. It was an 540 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,239 Speaker 1: extraordinary education for me in many many ways. I mean, 541 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 1: that's how we learned. That's how I was able to 542 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 1: embrace performing. Because Illinois Jacked heard me sing in pot 543 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: Salmon said why don't you come on the road, but 544 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:20,879 Speaker 1: come to New York and yes, it's great tenor saxophone 545 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 1: player was really going to put me on the map 546 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:25,720 Speaker 1: as a jazz singer. And I just knew I didn't 547 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 1: have the courage. You could have been a popular singer. 548 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:31,279 Speaker 1: You could have what where do you take the term 549 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: you're just saying, I'm going to operate? Is it now? 550 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:36,880 Speaker 1: What happened. Had I grown up in New York City, 551 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:40,320 Speaker 1: the singer songwriter thing might have opened. Doors might have opened. 552 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,080 Speaker 1: I mean, I sang on television in high school winning 553 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 1: some talent show, literally playing a song that I wrote. 554 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 1: Making the decision to go on undergraduate school. That's sort 555 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:53,480 Speaker 1: of solidified. Graduate school was where so you went from costom, 556 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 1: you went back home. Then I tried to pursue jazz, 557 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:02,800 Speaker 1: and and that didn't work. Despite the fact that Eastman 558 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: had a phenomenal jazz department, I just couldn't get in. 559 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:09,239 Speaker 1: I couldn't break in. So, you know, it was really 560 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:13,719 Speaker 1: circumstance that pushed me towards classical music, and eventually I 561 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:15,760 Speaker 1: really embraced it. And the other thing is I realized 562 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,320 Speaker 1: it was much more suited to my temperament. I liked 563 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:21,840 Speaker 1: being in the practice room. I liked studying. I enjoyed 564 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: wrestling with this instrument harder. I don't know that it 565 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 1: was harder, but it was more internal, kind of cerebral work. 566 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 1: You know. The interesting thing about jazz or anything popular, 567 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:38,359 Speaker 1: you see, it was a very personality driven and I 568 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: just didn't have that. I think I do now. Interestingly, 569 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: I've come out of my shell. I mean when I 570 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: tell people I was extremely shy that nobody believes me 571 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:50,040 Speaker 1: now to overcome yes, exactly. You know. I found a 572 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 1: lot of comedians to be extraordinarily serious and and draws 573 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,919 Speaker 1: withdrawn sometimes, So yeah, I think sometimes we overcome things 574 00:39:57,960 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 1: by going after the very thing that really a loud 575 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:03,080 Speaker 1: to us. So certainly my case that was it. I 576 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:07,200 Speaker 1: would observe friends who were comfortable performing and I would 577 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 1: just try to act like them, So that was that worked. 578 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:13,359 Speaker 1: It's an impersonation. Someone said to me, how do you 579 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,959 Speaker 1: perform in the theater, like why is the theater so 580 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,840 Speaker 1: soothing to you? And I say, because I know that 581 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:21,640 Speaker 1: for two and a half hours and know exactly where 582 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: I'm going to be, exactly what I'm going to say, 583 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,279 Speaker 1: exactly what you're going to say, and exactly how a 584 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,359 Speaker 1: roomful of people are going to react to what I say. 585 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:32,680 Speaker 1: And you don't feel performance pressure because I had terrible stage, right. 586 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,400 Speaker 1: I do feel the pressure in rehearsal. I feel the 587 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:41,960 Speaker 1: pressure to unearthed, to get down to it and get 588 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:43,879 Speaker 1: the work done. And if I feel that we got 589 00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:47,319 Speaker 1: the work done, then it's orgasmic, you know, Like I 590 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:49,160 Speaker 1: go out there in front of the only thing. I'm like, well, 591 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:52,839 Speaker 1: how's everybody doing? You know, I'm like, really, I'm very happy, comfortable. Yeah, 592 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 1: I think they're gonna like it if I go out there. 593 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 1: And I'm a little bit hesitating because I'm thinking, I 594 00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,320 Speaker 1: don't think we got it. But you do two years 595 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,799 Speaker 1: at Eastman and graduate degree there, then what happens? And 596 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:06,080 Speaker 1: I went to Juilliard, Uh did postgrad. I could be 597 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:07,880 Speaker 1: a doctor or a lawyer as long as I was 598 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:13,400 Speaker 1: in Juilliard at the time the American Opera Center so 599 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 1: now the Juilliard Opera Center, I believe it was a 600 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:20,120 Speaker 1: post graduate program. I was cast as Mozetta in Labo 601 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: m So I came here to sing a role. You 602 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:26,040 Speaker 1: get free lessons, coaching, all of the support that we 603 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: couldn't otherwise afford. You know, you're a beginner. And I 604 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: worked in Rocket Feller Plaza for a law firm, pay 605 00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: my rent and everything, and it was a great year. 606 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:37,760 Speaker 1: It was a phenomenal year. Say to yourself, why didn't 607 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:40,440 Speaker 1: I do this sooner? Yeah? Yes, because I was so happy, 608 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:42,719 Speaker 1: and I was running around the city like a maniac, 609 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:45,719 Speaker 1: so active. And then I took a full right grant 610 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 1: and studying in Germany and that was hard. How were 611 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:53,920 Speaker 1: you there in Frankfort. It was important. It was probably 612 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:57,160 Speaker 1: one of the most crucial pieces in my education because 613 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:00,560 Speaker 1: it was so challenging. Number one challenging. I didn't speak 614 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 1: a word of German when I went there. I was 615 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:05,920 Speaker 1: in the whole chield for musique and was not accepted 616 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 1: into the opera department, which was very disappointing to me 617 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:11,920 Speaker 1: at the time. I cried the whole way there, literally 618 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:15,080 Speaker 1: sobbing yes, And my boyfriend at the time, who became 619 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:18,280 Speaker 1: my husband, said well, you know, don't not go because 620 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,880 Speaker 1: of me, And I remember thinking, God, that would be 621 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:23,720 Speaker 1: the furthest thing from my mind. I was so kind 622 00:42:23,719 --> 00:42:30,400 Speaker 1: of self possessed, but also clueless about the choices I 623 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:33,160 Speaker 1: was making. That's why I wrote a book for young singers, 624 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:36,239 Speaker 1: because if young singers are any one of them like 625 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,040 Speaker 1: I was, you just don't know what you're getting into. 626 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,640 Speaker 1: But I was also very lucky because that year turned 627 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:45,520 Speaker 1: out to be a very formative experience. I mean, learning 628 00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:48,680 Speaker 1: to speak fluent German. How many languages do you speak fluent? Well, 629 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:51,080 Speaker 1: I studied French in high school like many of us did. 630 00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:54,120 Speaker 1: That was, you know, the language. Paris is my second home, 631 00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 1: and I sang there every year for a long time, 632 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:59,279 Speaker 1: so my French is when I'm there, it picks up 633 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:02,799 Speaker 1: again and it's but German is even more fluent and consistent. 634 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 1: During that year. You learned to speaking fluently in that 635 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:08,720 Speaker 1: one year. You know, I love the study of learning 636 00:43:08,719 --> 00:43:12,520 Speaker 1: and of memory, because what I've discovered is that at 637 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:14,799 Speaker 1: the end of that year my German was okay, was good, 638 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:17,919 Speaker 1: you know. But every year, every time I go back, 639 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:19,799 Speaker 1: it gets better and I don't have to speak a 640 00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:22,520 Speaker 1: word of German in between. So the brain, those neurons 641 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:25,960 Speaker 1: keep firing. Then you come back to Julliard. Yes, then 642 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:28,760 Speaker 1: I come back to Juilliard. I tried to stay in Germany. 643 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:31,120 Speaker 1: I tried to stay there and get work. No one 644 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 1: would have me, so I came back in my career 645 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:38,160 Speaker 1: started here. Then, how well, I had a rough couple 646 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:41,120 Speaker 1: of years of sort of no man's land, which is 647 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:46,040 Speaker 1: very common with singers between education and the start of career. 648 00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:48,759 Speaker 1: It's very common for all of us, really, all musicians, 649 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:50,880 Speaker 1: you know, And there's this catch twenty two where you 650 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:53,480 Speaker 1: can't get management unless they can go here. You perform, 651 00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:55,840 Speaker 1: but you can't get a job. Don't get managed in 652 00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:57,960 Speaker 1: the acting world. Okay, call me when you're in a 653 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:01,239 Speaker 1: show and welcome here. That's the manager you're trying to get. 654 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,160 Speaker 1: So competitions were the thing that helped me. And one 655 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:08,200 Speaker 1: of the competitions exactly for me. It was the met competition, 656 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:10,520 Speaker 1: and it took me three times, but I finally won. 657 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:12,680 Speaker 1: All of a sudden the doors opened. But it took 658 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:16,320 Speaker 1: about a year and a half. I'd say things went slowly. 659 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:20,120 Speaker 1: The first and the first and the first paid, legit 660 00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 1: professional job you have was doing what the first real 661 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:28,160 Speaker 1: engagement was in the Houston Grand Opera and it was 662 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:30,640 Speaker 1: the Marriage of Figaro, and that really put me on 663 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:34,759 Speaker 1: the map, and that described so important. I had never 664 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 1: sung the opera in Italian, I had singing in English. 665 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:41,719 Speaker 1: So I went to rehearse with really seasoned professionals, I 666 00:44:41,719 --> 00:44:44,839 Speaker 1: mean people who were big opera stars already, and I 667 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:47,320 Speaker 1: was a beginner, you know. The first day of rehearsal 668 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:50,600 Speaker 1: Thomas Allen, in particular, Sir Thomas Allen, He's got such 669 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:54,920 Speaker 1: an intelligence and a sophistication about his portrayal of all 670 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:57,480 Speaker 1: of these mozart in here herees he's still performing I 671 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:01,719 Speaker 1: think at the World Opera, I was just jelly at 672 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:03,840 Speaker 1: the end of the first rehearsal because I thought I 673 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,239 Speaker 1: can't even keep up with him. MOLTI Reachativa is really hard. 674 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:10,440 Speaker 1: Imagine doing very quick dialogue in a foreign language that 675 00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:13,200 Speaker 1: you don't speak, really and I learned. You know, when 676 00:45:13,239 --> 00:45:16,440 Speaker 1: you're young, you just you just you do what you 677 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:19,359 Speaker 1: have to do to keep up. I lifted the car 678 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:21,560 Speaker 1: off my baby because I had to lift the car. 679 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:27,439 Speaker 1: And when you get these opportunities, you have to rise 680 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 1: to the occasion and take a risk and get out 681 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:34,120 Speaker 1: there and really make it work, or you don't get 682 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:37,000 Speaker 1: the opportunity again. You know, it's so competitive the field. 683 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:47,480 Speaker 1: I think all my horseback riding and doing horse shows 684 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:50,440 Speaker 1: as a kid really prepared me for that. And when 685 00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:53,279 Speaker 1: when the curtain, I don't need to be so plodramatic, 686 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:55,760 Speaker 1: but the world you live in that kind of lends itself. 687 00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:57,640 Speaker 1: That's when the curtain comes down and the shows, the 688 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:00,560 Speaker 1: first shows, ever, how did you feel? Well? You know, 689 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:04,399 Speaker 1: it's unfortunately too long ago from me to remotely remember that, 690 00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:07,319 Speaker 1: but you know, I can tell you there was a 691 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:11,840 Speaker 1: euphoria in those early experiences, a sense of happiness and 692 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:14,479 Speaker 1: relief when I would go from one engagement to the other. 693 00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:18,200 Speaker 1: You know, our world, we never stop, so there's no 694 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:20,160 Speaker 1: sort of you do the project and then you take 695 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:22,839 Speaker 1: a break. It's a big blur. It's just after that, 696 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:25,919 Speaker 1: it's a blur, and it's like it's all one big 697 00:46:25,960 --> 00:46:28,160 Speaker 1: episode of a TV show. To me, now two things. 698 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: One is more tangible than the other. Someone Melanie Griffith 699 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:33,120 Speaker 1: Yers have I said to me that every role you 700 00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:35,720 Speaker 1: play is the chance to bury that part of yourself 701 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:37,719 Speaker 1: that you don't like. And the other thing I find 702 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:39,839 Speaker 1: is that when God wants to make fun of me 703 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:43,080 Speaker 1: and to mock me, I'll get a script and what's 704 00:46:43,080 --> 00:46:45,560 Speaker 1: going on with that character is exactly what's going on 705 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:48,200 Speaker 1: right right, And I'll read the script and it's almost 706 00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:51,200 Speaker 1: God to say to me, see right, stupid it looks 707 00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:53,399 Speaker 1: when it's on paper. I have felt that a lot 708 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 1: of times when I've been in any kind of conflict 709 00:46:56,719 --> 00:47:01,000 Speaker 1: or struggle, somehow the repertoire that I'm performing has just 710 00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:04,600 Speaker 1: coincidentally mirrored it in a way that's been healing. Let's 711 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:35,040 Speaker 1: say healing. This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to 712 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:39,840 Speaker 1: here's the thing today with Renee fleming in your work, 713 00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:43,200 Speaker 1: because in my work it's not this way. You can't 714 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:47,080 Speaker 1: do what you do unless you summon up some reservoir 715 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:50,759 Speaker 1: of the deepest, deepest passion to sing these roles effectively. 716 00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:55,120 Speaker 1: Think of a role you've you've performed where even you 717 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:58,200 Speaker 1: sat there and go, God, this is killing me. We 718 00:47:58,360 --> 00:47:59,759 Speaker 1: just came out of you like you couldn't believe it. 719 00:47:59,840 --> 00:48:01,839 Speaker 1: Kim out of it, you know there, Well, there are 720 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:04,279 Speaker 1: two sides of it. One is the vocal. One one 721 00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:06,040 Speaker 1: is this feeling that you know I'm in the right 722 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:09,000 Speaker 1: place at the right time to be singing this, and 723 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:11,719 Speaker 1: you know your voice well. The voice is such an 724 00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 1: evolving instrument. So when I sang Tais, for instance, at 725 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,800 Speaker 1: the met some years ago, and had these spectacular costumes 726 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:25,280 Speaker 1: from Christian Loqua, you just thought the stars have aligned 727 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,719 Speaker 1: to make this role of suit me perfectly right now. 728 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:31,920 Speaker 1: I love singing in French. I love Massine the way 729 00:48:31,960 --> 00:48:34,239 Speaker 1: it lies, the character, the fact that you know, the 730 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:38,279 Speaker 1: psychological drama and this opera where these two people completely 731 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:50,400 Speaker 1: changed places with each other. That was a case certainly 732 00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:52,880 Speaker 1: where I just thought, you know, and I was going 733 00:48:52,960 --> 00:48:58,440 Speaker 1: to do it again and somebody stopped and said, do 734 00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:00,440 Speaker 1: you want to sing it again in five years if 735 00:49:00,480 --> 00:49:03,799 Speaker 1: it's not as good as it was this time? And 736 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:06,120 Speaker 1: I said, you're right, I'm not going to I'm not 737 00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:08,920 Speaker 1: going to risk that it was It was perfect. I 738 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:11,279 Speaker 1: mean it was. I couldn't do it better. So it's 739 00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:13,640 Speaker 1: not very often I can say that I couldn't do 740 00:49:13,640 --> 00:49:15,840 Speaker 1: it better. Someone else maybe could do it better. Different 741 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,480 Speaker 1: It was the best that I could do. How have 742 00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:24,719 Speaker 1: opera audience has changed during your career at all? I 743 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:28,279 Speaker 1: think the challenge we face in opera in general, and 744 00:49:28,320 --> 00:49:32,480 Speaker 1: I would say forget opera and classical music is really exposure. 745 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,720 Speaker 1: It used to be that we had exposure obviously in schools. 746 00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:40,880 Speaker 1: We had exposure through churches and through our families. Every 747 00:49:41,040 --> 00:49:44,520 Speaker 1: socially climbing family got a piano, uh and and felt 748 00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:47,680 Speaker 1: that a musical education was part when arts education was 749 00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:51,160 Speaker 1: part of their children's, you know, the betterment of their lives, 750 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:53,160 Speaker 1: and that you know it is what it is. It is. 751 00:49:53,280 --> 00:49:56,239 Speaker 1: It is gone. It's just simply people don't feel it's 752 00:49:56,239 --> 00:50:00,080 Speaker 1: relevant anymore. It makes my heart when you say that, 753 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:04,879 Speaker 1: But it's true when you do a show, when you're 754 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:08,560 Speaker 1: performing a piece what's the day like for you? You 755 00:50:08,640 --> 00:50:11,800 Speaker 1: go to the theater and do you have us do 756 00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:13,799 Speaker 1: do people in your future of like a warm up? 757 00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:16,200 Speaker 1: You do? Is there a well I know nothing about 758 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:19,360 Speaker 1: vocal I try to vocalize earlier in the day because 759 00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:22,279 Speaker 1: I find that it's better for me a little bit. 760 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:24,960 Speaker 1: Just kind of see where it's at. You know, some things, 761 00:50:25,040 --> 00:50:28,160 Speaker 1: Drinking certain things I have to be careful about. I 762 00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:30,719 Speaker 1: love caffeine, you know. I would drink coffee all day 763 00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:33,040 Speaker 1: and I have to be careful about that because it's dehydrating. 764 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:36,040 Speaker 1: So I have my typical so and you have to 765 00:50:36,080 --> 00:50:38,239 Speaker 1: force fluids a little bit, which I hate too. So 766 00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:40,719 Speaker 1: these are the boring things, but not really good people 767 00:50:40,760 --> 00:50:42,880 Speaker 1: I think are just interested in what kind of the 768 00:50:43,120 --> 00:50:46,920 Speaker 1: discipline is complex? Yea, most people can't control what they 769 00:50:46,960 --> 00:50:49,880 Speaker 1: eat and drink. There's a little bit of that, having 770 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:53,160 Speaker 1: the humidifier on, making sure it's a lot about you know, moisture. 771 00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:57,920 Speaker 1: These are all mucous membranes. The vocal folds are very sensitive, 772 00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:01,239 Speaker 1: and you want to go in to that performance with 773 00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:05,279 Speaker 1: them being super healthy and not dried out. We're the 774 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,839 Speaker 1: Olympians of singers, really, and you will have a three 775 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:11,200 Speaker 1: to five hour long performance and that takes a lot 776 00:51:11,200 --> 00:51:15,400 Speaker 1: of physical stamina. Yeah, it's a lot of physical stamina. 777 00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:19,560 Speaker 1: Plus you're emotionally all over the place, you know, as 778 00:51:19,560 --> 00:51:22,480 Speaker 1: you said it to very But it's mainly the amount 779 00:51:22,520 --> 00:51:24,719 Speaker 1: of sound we have to produce to be heard over 780 00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:28,000 Speaker 1: the orchestra and the chorus in a huge hall. That's 781 00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:31,640 Speaker 1: the thing that that is different. And if we sing well, 782 00:51:31,719 --> 00:51:34,040 Speaker 1: if we sing technically well, we should be able to 783 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:36,400 Speaker 1: get up the next day and sound normal. You know, 784 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:38,840 Speaker 1: people will go to sports events and scream at you know, 785 00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:40,600 Speaker 1: the other team or even there if the people they 786 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:43,439 Speaker 1: like and their horse. The next day. We can't do that. 787 00:51:43,719 --> 00:51:46,040 Speaker 1: We're doing the same thing, but we're doing it in 788 00:51:46,080 --> 00:51:48,279 Speaker 1: the trained way, and you know, it is a hard 789 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:50,320 Speaker 1: art form to get right. There are all these elements 790 00:51:50,680 --> 00:52:10,399 Speaker 1: and it's live. But when it's right, it's it's amazing. Oh. 791 00:52:39,320 --> 00:52:42,480 Speaker 1: Renee Fleming says she's looking forward to getting some rest, 792 00:52:42,840 --> 00:52:46,560 Speaker 1: although it's not clear when that will come. In addition 793 00:52:46,640 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 1: to her busy performance schedule, she recently became the creative 794 00:52:50,719 --> 00:52:54,719 Speaker 1: consultant for the Lyric Opera in Chicago. They just announced 795 00:52:54,760 --> 00:52:58,920 Speaker 1: an upcoming world premier opera based on the bestseller Bell Conto, 796 00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:03,520 Speaker 1: and she's been advocating for more arts education in schools. 797 00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:08,800 Speaker 1: It's not just for people to be consumers of the artists, 798 00:53:08,800 --> 00:53:12,120 Speaker 1: for them to also participate, find the creative voices, and 799 00:53:12,160 --> 00:53:31,080 Speaker 1: build confidence through participation. My thanks to it's a promin 800 00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:34,399 Speaker 1: at Renee Fleming. I'm Alec Baldwin. Here's the thing that's 801 00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:36,680 Speaker 1: brought to you by my Heart Radio.