Bryn Terfel Quotations

Welsh is my mother tongue, and my children speak it. If you come and live in this community you'll work out pretty quickly that it's beneficial to learn the language, because if you're going to the pub or a cafe you need to be a part of the local life.

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

It was in Cardiff, and the cast was 60 per cent Welsh-speaking. It's the first time I've walked into a rehearsal room speaking my mother tongue, which in itself was a breath of fresh clean air from the Welsh mountains. Singing Hans Sachs is always a milestone, but I was happy to be part of such an achievement, not personally but as a company.

People may have thought that we changed a lot. I don't think we came in with that intention. Certain things I can't stomach. But I tried to be as collegial as possible. When you sign that contract, you're tied to that opera house to try your best. But every different team will play with a different intensity.

I've been amazed by the numbers that have come out to see the torch relay, so being a part of it is lovely.

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

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

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

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

I started singing because I come from Wales

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

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

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

For the mountains shall depart

I hated canceling. Obviously, when you cancel, people miss the artist they've been counting on -- sometimes counting on years in advance. Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing I could have done about it. I was going through hell.

I remember when I rang the Opera House in Covent Garden to say, 'I'm having terrible back problems,' ... They tried everything to help get me there. They said, 'You can sing from a chair.' But the thing was, I couldn't even sit.

People have come up to me in the street saying 'Hey Meatloaf, I love that song you do, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad,'

Falstaff is very demanding vocally but dramatically it is something to get my teeth into. I'm really looking forward to that.

I started preparing Wolfram long ago because there was practically no stage time and no rehearsals at the Met, just a week. Luckily I'm a quick learner.

Things like lifting luggage, or, when you're reversing your car, how you twist around to see where you're going. I'm very careful when I lift things.

It was the worst thing that's ever happened to me in my very short time on this planet.

I've asked Tom in the past, but I don't know what was wrong with him as Tommy boy didn't return any of my calls,

Some people disapprove of crossover, but who cares?

They're big boys now. But they're getting older, so they don't need to be molly-coddled as much, and lifted up and down so.

It was imperative when I started my training to have a teacher who would really look after whatever talent I had as a youngster.

It puts awful strain on your legs and back.

I'm accustomed to the ticket sales picking up in the week before the festival. But I am delighted the opera gala on Sunday night is sold out a week before the concert and we've sold more than 7,000 tickets for two other concerts.

I missed out on seeing my two boys being born, because of my profession, ... I was rehearsing 'Don Giovanni' in Salzburg when the first one was born, and I was in New York rehearsing 'Figaro' when the second was born.

I know many people find Wagner boring, and I'm no different, but by not being pretentious I hope to make it accessible.

By the second day after that performance, I couldn't walk -- I couldn't even get to my front door.

For the last ten years my only teacher has been Rudolf Pierne. He is a superb pianist, conductor, linguist and a great singing teacher. He knows my voice and has looked after its development.

A good pupil-teacher relationship has to be built up over time. I can't see the value of someone coming into the room for a few minutes and saying, "Look, you're doing this wrong.