Licia Albanese

Opera legend Licia Albanese died yesterday at the age of 105 (!). I had a chance to interview her once, and to watch her in a master class at Bay Shore Lyric Opera in Capitola, CA. Then in her nineties, she was a ball of energy, and her comments had a humor and rhythm that were so infectious I wrote them down and later turned them, verbatim, into a poem. Having missed the chance to see her in one of her thousands of performances of Madama Butterfly, I am left to say farewell with her own words. Brava!

Master Class, Licia Albanese, February 21, 1998

Who’s going to drink this water?
Certainly not me

You’re not scared of the audience

You’re scared of me

Give life to the words

Every word needs a life

Make the last note long

That way, the people will know you’re finished

When you get to the top note, I will give you a pinch so you make it this time

Walk, walk

That way you don’t get tense while you’re singing

This is opera

You have to give to them

so they come back

to hear you

Don’t rush – this is Puccini!

Wait! Wait!

I didn’t believe you could sing this, because your voice is fortissimo

But it’s good

This is the way I want you all to sing