Joan Sutherland in Interview for ABC (2005)

[@makeupbycarlcapellan]

I love how she answered the questions succintly and with all honesty. Her candor is greatly missed

[@operabilia]

Lots of fond memories with DJS and RB in Switzerland ... glorious days! Even more glorious in so many opera houses around the world. So humble, kind and witty! RIP.

[@piustwelfth]

Great interview! Dame Joan never beat around the bush. Nowadays one must be so careful about what one says. I'm a firm believer in letting people express their opinions, even or esp. if I don't agree. An honest exchange views is almost impossible now.

[@peterdevita6308]

Absolute;y stunning interview with Dame Joan as bright as a tac and as honest as one can possibly get and, I might add, no regrets about her fantastic life with the odd contoversy here and there. Brava Dame Joan and Rest in Peace, Dear Lady!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Joan is right. It is not just opera where colleagues can be 'challenging'! Offices are 'challenging' too. Sometimes people in offices feel as if they are working in opera houses! Thank you for the video!

[@shannonlewis8906]

Boy, the interviewer went there. She didn’t hold back anything. Lol But, ole Joanie was herself the whole time. “Well she was Chinese wasn’t she...” 😆

[@nanettetredoux7613]

A delightful interview.

[@AlexandraRieloff]

I completely agree with how she feels about 'modern adaptations'. A period piece is just that; it's defined by its time. Could it be that they lack imagination to write anything as good?

[@robcardinal8430]

An honest and charming interview!

[@iestynovich]

Enchanting.

[@wotan10950]

I’ve heard this interview several times previously. Dame Joan quickly skips over the part where her mother has two daughters. I’m not sure many people know that Joan had an older sister, Barbara, who committed suicide in early adulthood. Sad story, and I’m sure Joan was none too eager to dredge up personal grief.

[@Tkimba2]

I've read that too. Very sad story. Actually it seemed to me Joan was the only one that was close to her sister

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

I think after her sister's death Joan said that she saw how life was precious and that she "didn't want to waste any of it".

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

@@Tkimba2 In the beginning, Joan was more close to the half brothers (from her father's first marriage) than Barbara. After her father passed away occurred the approximation with Barbara. And Joan kept the contact with her half brothers after became a first class Prima Donna. *I know that, because one of Joan's nieces told me they had family meetings.

[@rakellcolotta3675]

@@JoanSutherlandFan She had only one half brother, 3 half sisters, and one sister. Six kids in all, but the 4 older ones were mush older than Joan and her sister Barbara. Joan was the baby.

[@meltzerboy]

@@MrStpendouslvforjo And in her autobiography, Joan said that life must go on, no matter what.

[@ahogbin2644]

Her voice was unique and much missed. I was lucky to hear her in all her Covent Garden roles from 1980 and a few other concerts and recitals elsewhere. Apart from the voice, her musicality was superb. We miss her tremendously and even here she comments that there is little bel canto around, even less of it now plus the hideous, bizarre productions. I'm afraid that opera's had its day. She was probably one of the last great divas, Caballe went on a little longer.

[@baritonebynight]

Not a fan of the interviewer...but Dame Joan was a good sport. "Was it hard work?" Sheesh......

[@livrowland171]

The interviewer seemed to think she should have been putting in 8 hours of scales a day or something. .. if you did you would wreck your voice! As Dame Joan said you can also study scores quietly. But apart from voice practice, and score learning and rehearsals and shows and make-up and costumes (and interviews) etc, there's also the fact these international soloists are always flying round the world and living out of hotel rooms, which must be quite wearing in itself.

[@ΙωαννηςΜπαβας-κ9θ]

Goodness* utube john bavas crazy

[@andrewdeakin7078]

Monica Attard - a very ABC interviewer.

[@shannonlewis8906]

I could be wrong, but it sounds like Joan didn’t take into consideration that the interviewer wasn’t asking the questions for herself, but yet thinking of the wide range of listeners who might not know or understand what others or Joan may see as obvious or ridiculous. I’m an enormous fan, so I only have love… I just thought Joan could’ve been more patient with some of the questions.

[@livrowland171]

I thought some of the questions were a bit silly and annoying and she answered them all quite well. The interviewer didn't seem to jnow much about singing and opera.