With his virtually perfect English and direct and erudite manner, the great Italian baritone Giuseppe Danise recalls his career from debut to retirement and touches on a number of subjects regarding the operatic life and art form (TRRILL)

00:00 Debut as Alfio in Naples

00:33 Touring company in Balkans and Russia

01:06 Beginning of Italian career in Trieste

02:37 La Scala debut

02:56 WWI service

03:53 First performance w/ Gigli

04:12 South American "vagabondage"

05:00 Letter from the Met

05:40 Gerard in Met premiere of Andrea Chenier

06:00 William Tell, decadence in popularizing opera w/ vulgar updates

07:00 Preparation of singers now vs. in Danise's younger years

08:35 There are two kinds of singers: artists and "hams"

10:00 New school singers (promotion of emotion) vs. old school virtuosos (promotion of admiration)

10:30 Bidu Sayão and retirement