Opera singer Barbara Hannigan on the 1930's opera 'Lulu' 

Gleichfalls.

+scmager There is a level of narcissism in most musicians you'll find, without it we'd completely lose our minds...

Of course, a degree of self-respect -- self-love, if you will -- is necessary to healthy human existence -- for everyone. The ideal is somewhere in the middle between the extremes of narcissism and mere self-preservation. What musicians really require is not narcissism, but a measure of self-absorption. Musicians must cultivate an inner life, which sometimes can be insular. It cannot be helped. And after all, selfLESSness, not selfishness, must be learned. But in the end, it is communal music-making that is most rewarding and satisfying, and this kind of musicianship, that strives after resonance and fruitful partnership, rarely flourishes with divas and prima donnas. It's like happy love-making -- it thrives on surrender and a joyful lack of self-consciousness. Stardom has no place in it.

I think her narcissist and exhibitionist streaks actually serve her artistic expression well - they enable her to do interesting stuff. Also, she seems to go along well with her fellow musicians (mind, I merely conclude that from what I have seen on videos here, I may well be wrong about that particular point).

And she is the center of mine too :))

Where can I see her testimony about being remarkably narcissistic? Thank you!

I tough she was playing timpani from the thumbnail.

lol