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.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
A symphony is a stage play with the parts written for instruments instead of for actors.
You can't play a symphony alone, it takes an orchestra to play it.
When facing symphonic orchestras which have played some works five thousands times, you have nothing to do.
Playing the Beethoven symphonies, for example, is a consummate experience for a musician because Beethoven speaks so directly to who we are as people.
A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.
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.
The first reason for starting to do the symphony concerts was to play this new piece of mine.
I sometimes feel it is to my disadvantage that I have not conducted the Cleveland Orchestra or the Boston or Chicago symphonies, but then I have had to sacrifice something in order to have enough time with my orchestras.
Beethoven's symphonies are not 'relaxing.' They are the most exciting things that have ever been created by a human being.
I think that of my 21 symphonies, each has its own place.