If you send up a weather vane or put your thumb up in the air every time you want to do something different, to find out what people are going to think about it, you're going to limit yourself. That's a very strange way to live.
Jessye NormanRead
There is a lot of propaganda about opera singers not being able to act. That's not necessarily true and hasn't been true for a very long time. And certainly there were those instances when singers were told they need to fit into a certain size dress. Of course, women. Men? They just make the costume bigger.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Opera singers can act, challenging stereotypes about their abilities.
Jessye Norman addresses the common misconception that opera singers lack acting skills, noting that this stereotype is outdated. She highlights the issues of body image and different standards imposed on women and men within the industry, emphasizing that talent encompasses both vocal and acting prowess, and that the art form continues to evolve beyond rigid expectations.
Themes
OperaActingPerformanceStereotypesArtistic ExpressionBody Image
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the diverse skills required in the performing arts.
More from Jessye Norman
All quotes →My parents said to us, practically on a daily basis, that we were as good as anyone else on this earth, and that we would simply have to work harder in order to show that.
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Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself.
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I am grateful that my horizons were not narrowed at the outset.
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As for my voice, it cannot be categorised - and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in the dramatic, mezzo or spinto range.
Jessye NormanRead
It is still more likely that a woman's power would be seen as aggression, and a man's power would be seen as assertion.
Jessye NormanRead
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