“There used to be the assumption that the orchestra was a male domain – it was a carry-over of the chauvinism that was prevalent in the business. It takes a while for people to be less stupid than they have been in the past.”
James DePreist
“Orchestras only need to be sworn at, and a German is consequently at an advantage with them, as English profanity, except in America, has not gone beyond a limited technology of perdition.”
George Bernard Shaw
“Essentially, the [New York] Philharmonic is just like any other orchestra-they all have the spirit of kids, and if you scratch away a little of the fatigue and cynicism, out comes a 17-year-old music student again, full of wonder, exuberance and a tremendous love of music.”
Zubin Mehta
“I'm not interested in having an orchestra sound like itself. I want it to sound like the composer.”
Leonard Bernstein
“Conductors must give unmistakable and suggestive signals to the orchestra, not choreography to the audience.”
George Szell
“Show me an orchestra that likes its conductor and I'll show you a lousy conductor.”
Goddard Lieberson
“The conductor must make it possible to eliminate himself in the music. If the orchestra feels him doing that, then everything will go well.”
Giuseppe Sinopoli
