parterre box

29 comments

• 11
  Cocky Kurwenal says:

  November 16, 2009 at 8:48 AM

  Price’s interview is unusually interesting and in depth for a Diva, but she really seems to struggle with her English doesn’t she? It’s a tendency I’ve noticed with Sutherland and Jones too – going in for an awful lot of complex constructions that they ultimately don’t quite seem to be able to complete!

  Price is truly an inspiration here though – that self-belief must have helped her a hell of a lot in her early days.
• 12
  MontyNostry says:

  November 16, 2009 at 12:52 PM

  That circuitous, overambitious verbal style of Leontyne’s style is nothing if not distinctive. Maybe part of it comes from functioning in other languages so much in the course of her work. It’s as if she is presenting herself rather than quite being herself, but — because it’s her — it’s rather adorable. On someone else it could be unbearably pretentious. She somehow retains (in a good sense) an essential simplicity

  With Jones, I think the problems arise from the fact that German became her de facto first language. And, of course, any kind of self doubt just isn’t in her make-up, so she doesn’t really care how odd she sounds.

  As for Joanie, maybe she just wasn’t very eloquent — or even particularly confident — when speaking formally, but I bet she was great value round a dinner table.
  • 12.1
    Cocky Kurwenal says:

    November 16, 2009 at 1:50 PM

    Agreed that with Jones, German seems to have become her first language, so much so that when she speaks in English these days you’re sitting there waiting for the verb until she finally throws it in at the end of the sentence and you suddenly realise what she’s on about. With Sutherland, yes, maybe she wasn’t very eloquent. But with Price, I’m not sure – is my impression that she actually appeared less in Europe, other than the UK, than many other singers of her stature correct? I have this idea that her career was fairly US-centric, so I’m not sure why her English has ended up so mangled. I love the grandiosity of it though.
    • 12.1.1
      MontyNostry says:

      November 16, 2009 at 2:18 PM

      You’re right, Cocky. She sounds as though she has been tutored in that kind of discourse. It’s heightened self-help speak, almost. But, as you say, you have to love her.

      One always gets the feeling — from her singing too — that there is a woman of warmth and humour there. With her diva defences down, I bet she was lots of fun. I’ll never forget someone saying to me once that her singing sounded like she was good in bed!