MARILYN HORNE has lived and survived it all. She is the real Iron Lady of voices. I am lucky to call her a friend and mentor. She’s extremely kind, open and authentic. I love this woman and her musicality.

What a delightful person!! Aside from her artistic genius, what a lovely, lovely lady! Love her!!!

I love how Horne both complements and compliments every single musician she's ever worked with - she matches inflections and timbre in duets (years of choral singing can be useful) but still has a distinct and powerful soloist instrument. A remarkable person, and one of the largest ranges ever seen in opera - from C to shining C (pun intended). No wonder she's sung basically everything that isn't Lakmé.

After an incredible performance of Cruda sorte! in her Carnegie debut, the audience went wild. Clinging to the piano, Ms. Horne said, "I don't know about you, but I'm so excited I can't sing another note." In Santa Fe, 30 years later, a man had a heart attack. She checked on his condition, reported to the audience, and 20-30 minutes later continued with the performance. Her sincerity and simplicity were as endearing as we see here. What an inspiration!

L'ho conosciuta e frequentata anche per dirci cose...di tutti i giorni...A Venezia...a Milano...a Verona ...A Milano ...Firenze...Pesaro, Macerata---a Roma avevo 10 anni nel 1960 quando con la Scotto Pavarotti e Abbado, cantò il Requiem di Verdi...da poco; registrato dalla rai ...gira il video.......dimostrando che poteva cantare anche parti di mezzo soprano...visto che allora era spinta verso le parti da soprano .. ...... tornata poi con la Rinaldi a fare Semiramide specializzandosi in parte di di contralto e mezzosoprano barocco e di coloratura.... una vera artista universale... Quello che dice e racconta da chi intraprende la sua Carriera dovrebbe essere ascoltato; come una...Bibbia. ..i teatri Italiani quando c'era lei si riempivano Tutto esaurito; da persone che venivano da Tutto il mondo. Possiamo dire con la Verret...la von Stade...La Sills...La Bumvbry...la Price...ecc. ecc. è stata un bel ponte Culturale ...forse irripetibile con la Moffo e la Callas pioniere del legame musicale far i due continenti....del resto La Tebaldi e poi Ebe Stignani...furono i suoi punti di riferimento. (...chi pensa e dice cose poco simpatiche...usa un veleno non pericoloso...) Lei entrerà nella storia della musica...per il Caleidoscopio di esperienze musicali cosi diverse e distanti...che ne hanno fatto una cantante Storica. La collaborazione con i Solisti Veneti resuscitò Vivaldi che oggi è entrato a piè pari nel repertorio di molti cantanti moderni...ampliando gli interpreti sopranisti.... mi confidava che avendo avuto accesso ad archivi musicali Veneti...avrebbe voluto approfondire Corelli...conosciuto con la Boulanger..che la coinvolse nelle riscoperta degli autori Veneti...dove giovanissima venne a cantare addirittura in san Marco...la Fenice poi... fu un suo Teatro d'Elezione...con Italiana di Rossini, Tancredi ,e Orlando ma di Haendel...ecc ecc Che Dio la conservi a lungo come testimone...di un secolo il 900 che per la musica in Generale è stato e rimarrà Unico. Chapeau a chi ci ha regalato questo ...Documento così esaustivo della sua grande Arte.

Such a great voice and great human being.

Ascoltarla dal vivo è stata un'esperienza meravigliosa . Grazie !! Grazie Marilyn!!

I SANG WITH THE ROGER WAGER CHORALE IN THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL WHEN MARILYN HORN WAS ONE OF THE SOLOISTS. i 'L NEVER FORGET HOW BEAUTIFUL SHE WAS. i HAVE A PHOTO OF THE FOUR SOLOISTS WHICH i TREASURE AND OF COURSE i FOLLOWED HER CAREER WHICH MUCH AWE. SHE WAS AND IS GEAT!

My favorite line, "you know, I can sing low too."

I attended several of her last classical recitals from 1997-2000. I met her after her 1999 Chicago farewell and was trembling and could barely speak. She quickly put me at ease and wanted to know about MY singing, what I was working on, and even gave me some free advice on ornamentation. The next time I met her, she greeted me by name and treated me like she had known me for ten years. It was mind blowing that the greatest singer in the world would care about me, a nobody in the world of music.

Revered and loved. One of the greatest in the world of Opera. Besides that, she reminds me of my beloved mother when she was in her seventies and early eighties. Bless Marilyn Horne.

There is something disturbing about this post's comments. Healthy debate about performers and performances is fine, but this post is becoming too personal and rather nasty and spiteful. Can we please remember that we love artists and their music and keep things courteous and civilised

This interview is just absolutely brilliant! She is so direct, so honest, and she gave us such insight. WOW. I am a jaded opera freak. This was like opening a window.

Love it, LOVE IT !!! Only once I was fortunate enough to hear her live, 1977 Tancredi in Rome.

The combination of Marilyn Horne and Joan Sutherland at their prime singing the most difficult and demanding music as if it was beginners work were probably the most unique moments in all operatic history.

One of THE BEST mezzo this world will ever see and hear. Her range is just fantastic. Such a class act.

This is one of my favorite singers of ALL time. Her voice is so unique and her technique is impeccable. When I met her, she was so gracious and kind. A great dream of mine came true. To see her in concert...INCREDIBLE experience. God bless you Marilyn!

Wow! This anonymous forum has given birth to someone who chooses to foist an acidic opinion of a great artist, as if representing the great mass of the listening public. Ms. Horne is one of the great Mezzos, and was a match to the talent of Sutherland. Saw their concerts, together. Very exciting work.

She is amazing, kind, gracious and SO MUCH MORE! I can't tell you how wonderful she has been to my son. Very supportive and also instrumental in where he is today. God Bless you Marilyn Horne!!

Terrific to get to know Marilyn a little

I've never cried over music before, but her singing of the Erbarme Dich by J.S. Bach just makes me tear up every time. What a wonderful classical Soprano.

luv her , she is so real and grounded

How could anyone give a thumbs down to this incredible artist and even more incredible human being! What she does not include in this interview is her support and help for so many young singers. She did so much and would take no credit for it. She is one of the diva goddesses of opera who will be honored as long as there is opera. There is nothing to top her "Or la tromba" in Rinaldo. It may be the greatest operatic performance l ever heard. Oh, but then there were her wonderful Lieder performances in Lisbon that l adored! What an honor and a privilege to have known her and to have heard her in so many wonderful performances. Kneel down and worship! We will not hear her likes again!

A great singer and that recording with Sutherland in Norma was just superb.

I adore Marilyn Horne. IMHO, she is one of the greatest mezzos of the 20th century. My voice teacher knows her very well. They sang together numerous times. He says that she is a delightful lady and extremely funny. She loves to tell dirty jokes, he told me!

Marilyin QUEEN Horne !!! God bless U always !!!!

Dear Marilyn, I was at the Norma premiere with Joan, I have the program and it is the only Opera program I treasure. As great as Joan was, I fell in love with your sound and my focus shifted to you. Your performance is the one I took home and to this day remember. Love you.

Thanks Marilyn for all that You gave us in Italy with your enormous art! We miss you so much,

Thank you for this posting. What a wonderful time capsule of one of the greatest singers of all time. For me she was perfect. Her voice lifts my heart and soul to another world. Thank you Marilyn for a lifetime of joy and pleasure.

What a great story--thanks for sharing it!

What a humble great Women. The greatest mezzo/contralto of the last century showing proudly her white hair and talking as a funny young women with such an open heart....WOW! May you live for ever Marylin. Your career will.

I want to like and love this over and over!

What an amazing personality besides outstanding singing! Great interview!

Marvellous interwiew

Oh, I adore her, she 's so Kind ...

This is so fascinating. And she says it..... there is no recording legacy of the early years.... we didn't have the technology what a pity. Now one can record quality video and audio and mostly there are only turds that will live on through eternity. UGH! She had an unbelievable range and a natural ability along with a good nature and spirit. What is wonderful is how she knows herself and can so easily communicate. A beautiful face and being. Luck and being prepared.

Very impressive, lucid and well articulated interview. One could not expect anything less than that from this remarkable lady. And she's still beautiful!!! Thanks NEAarts for this wondeful upload. Greetings from Italy

What a plethera of information these singers seem to posses. Always fun to listen to singers talk about "times passed" thank you :d

Horne, more than any other singer, had the talent and technical virtuosity to sing music written for the castrati, who were the greatest singers of all time. The first time I ever heard her voice was on a recording of "Carmen Jones" Of course, she was very young then and she had not developed the full range of her abilities. Some may think that she overused the chest voice; however, I think she always used all parts of her voice with taste and refinement.

Beautiful voice

What a lovely woman. I hope I get the chance to meet her :-)

pure class...

Thak you so much for posting this.I have never seen a full legth interview with Jackie,and it is so great and revealing. What an artist,and a wonderful human being she is. So funny,detirmed and grounded. At least(we hope) she passes it on to her students.

what a memory!!! and a great artist

This IS talent!

I really love this woman.

Great interview!!!! Finally the clear truth about singing and her career!

Been everywhere, done everything, known everybody, and born happy. Doesn't seem fair.

I think Marilyn Horne and Eileen Farrell were very much cut from the same cloth. Wholly American, no airs or diva pretenses/antics. Both masters of the craft.

Her idol is Tebaldi.

I notice that this talented, one of a kind brilliant singer got "nine thumbs down?"...what has this world come to? God help these cretins for they know not what they do!...

a true Diva.......in every sense!!!

She is a true lady. I will forgive her being from LA.

Agreed!

A good soul, I like her.

Great interview!!!! Finally the clear truth about singing and her career! One serious error, though... Marilyn! Sediziose voci!!!!

She is without a doubt one of the great post-WWII singers. It is interesting that she did not talk about Joe Klein and his close friendship with Henry Lewis.

I can also play anything by ear in the key of C :)

when is this?

there is nothing bad to say about Marilyn Horne or Joan Sutherland how dare any one can do this on an open forum to criticise their voices I found it pretty disgusting,to me they were the greatest female voices ever heard in my time

I wish she could teach me.. but i'm so far away.. south america =(

LOTTE LEHMANN not Lotte Lenya

Was it singing or praying?

Pity she isn't British born, she'd be Dame Marilyn now.

MICAELA's Aria.... not what was typed in there. :)

SAMUEL RAMEY...not Raimi :)

"Sediziose voci"!

is she part afro American?

She says she knows Norma so well and then says the wrong words. Oh well. Nobody's perfect. 'Sediziose voci'!

His life must so sad to be so miserable. Oh well, on to more productive things.

A singer whose singing never got connected with Artistry... you could hear an enormous voice going up and down and you never felt the slightest.. it was all about technical exhibition, like her dearest friend Joan Sutherland (a Bonynge influence?) or in pop music C. Aguilera... I dont think of these people as Musicians, I see them as Vocalists in a diminishing way like the acrobats in circus who can perform a life threatening feat which you forget instantly cause there is no Art in it. After searching her archives for more than 15 years trying to find some evidence of Artistry, a single moment of true feeling.. I gave up.. she had the chance in her lifetime to see real artists and learn from them, she chose the plastic soulless path