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A symphony is no joke.

You can't play a symphony alone, it takes an orchestra to play it.

A symphony is a stage play with the parts written for instruments instead of for actors.

The symphonies are the things that, as a soloist, I've not gotten to play. I used to travel the world playing concertos, and then I would sit and listen to the symphony.

I don't see myself necessarily having a burning desire to write a symphony.

A Beethoven symphony should be rehearsed like chamber music, only for a lot more people.

I think that of my 21 symphonies, each has its own place.

I'm like any other composer. If you give me five years to write a symphony, I'm still going to be asking for more time two days before it's due.

But a large symphony orchestra basically is a repertory company and it has a very enormous repertoire and it is important for the performers to be able to know how to shift focus so that they instantly become part of the sound world that a particular repertoire demands.

This is what I want in heaven... words to become notes and conversations to be symphonies.