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A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.

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.

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

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.

When facing symphonic orchestras which have played some works five thousands times, you have nothing to do.

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

The orchestral or symphonic music never interested me.

I hear entire symphonies, oratorios, in my head, but I can't write a note.

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