I never step upon a stage without asking myself whether I will succeed in finishing the opera. The fact is that a conscientious singer is never sure of himself or of anything. He is ever in the hands of Destiny.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the uncertainty and pressure artists face before performing.
Enrico Caruso expresses the inherent anxiety that comes with being a performer, particularly the fear of not delivering a successful performance. He acknowledges that no matter how experienced an artist may be, the outcome is ultimately unpredictable and reliant on various external factors, hinting at the interplay between talent and fate in the world of art.
In practice
During a speech at a performing arts festival.
To become a singer requires work, work, and again, work! It need not be in any special corner of the earth; there is no one spot that will do more for you than other places. It doesn't matter so much where you are if you have intelligence and a good ear.
It is too bad that the public expects from me, always, perfection which it is impossible for me always to attain. I am not a machine. I am a human being.
It was he who impressed, time and again, the necessity of singing as nature intended, and - I remember - he constantly warned, don't let the public know that you work. So I went slowly. I never forced the voice.
I ask of cinema what most North Americans ask of psychedelic drugs.
Drama is real life with all the boring parts cut out.
In order to fully realize how bad a popular play can be, it is necessary to see it twice.
The reason why the music [jazz] is important is because it's an art form-an ancient art form-that takes in the mythology of our people.
My sister-in-law is a painter, and I'll say, how long did it take you to paint that painting. She'll say, It took me maybe three days, but it took me all my life to get the skills to paint that painting.
I was in a queer mood, thinking myself very old: but now I am a woman again - as I always am when I write.
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