'I'm not sure it's what the opera-going public are interested in or that you could really explain it to them. My father used to say, "I wouldn't go into a room with a brain surgeon and expect to have a conversation about brain surgery when he's spent his whole life doing that", yet everyone expects to be able to talk about music as if it's something you can pick up overnight.'
Simon Keenlyside, that beautiful piece of big honking handsome British meat, talks about his future plans for Italian opera, Lieder, and world domination.