Rufus Wainwright Quotes

I've always gravitated towards opera, and the Royal Opera House is quite possibly the greatest opera house on earth.

To play opera, to play Wagner, it's a great joy.

An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I've left the opera house.

At its best, no art form is more thrilling than grand opera, yet none is at greater risk of following the dinosaurs down the cold road to extinction.

Americans, they have an incredible operatic tradition: the Metropolitan Opera House is - if not the most prestigious - one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world for over 100 years.

I became a set designer for opera. I'm a great opera buff, I love classical music, and I needed a time-out.

In my view, the operas of Carlisle Floyd will find a place in the permanent repertoire.

I enjoy listening to opera at home, occasionally, but I would much rather see it than just listen to it.

I began by listening to my mother's collection of Amelita Galli-Curci and Lily Pons records, and then was taken (at age eight) to hear Pons at a Met performance of Lakme. It was at that moment that I decided to become an opera star. Not just an opera singer, but an opera star!

A lot of people hated every moment of my 'Ring.' And a lot of people who had never been to an opera bought subscriptions to the next season.

If you decide to work with the opera world, chances are there are going to be people who resist that.

I never liked opera growing up. I always liked chamber music or solo music even more than orchestral music.

I'm a devotee of Stephen Sondheim. I think he's a genius.

Let's be clear: I love singing at the Met.

Premiering a new opera is probably one of the hardest things in the world to do, and opening nights of any opera are always pretty stressful.

The Metropolitan Opera, of course, is the gold standard in opera. The Met experience includes the huge stage, the vast audience, the elaborate sets. Anyone who saw 'Faust' there - I did - knows exactly what hell is like, complete with fire, smoke and terror.

My stepfather was quite into opera, but he'd play it when he was in a bad mood, so you'd hear this boom through the floor, Wagner, and you'd feel nervous.

The music of the most popular operas is so highly esteemed, it can stand endless revivals.

I'm involved with a baroque opera company here in Italy. I write some of their booklet material, comments on operas. I also write for some baroque opera festivals because this music is my real passion.

Well, the very best operas are the ones written by the very best composers.

I'm by no means an opera buff.

I love to conduct opera.

I don't find much influence in opera. It was such a different part of me.

Sondheim is the Shakespeare of the musical theater world.

The opera in Los Angeles is excellent.