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A conductor can't be too arrogant with an orchestra and try to impose himself too much.

I think conductors do spend too little time with their orchestras.

On the other hand, when I give it closer thought, I realize I'm not enough of a dictator to conduct an orchestra because it requires a pretty awful person. When you read these biographies of famous conductors, they are all awful people who fail in their private relationships.

From time to time, the Vienna Philharmonic could play without a conductor because they are so good.

The orchestra confides in me about their music director or their conductor, and I've never seen a conductor that's been liked by everyone.

There are two types of conductors. One is the good conductor who can do passionate music but also listen to the singers and do the orchestra. And then there are great conductors, who have their own opinion on the music, who are ruling everything - and not listening much to the singers, but the orchestra play amazingly.

The great secret is that an orchestra can actually play without a conductor at all. Of course, a great conductor will have a concept and will help them play together and unify them. But there are conductors that actually inhibit the players from playing with each other properly.

There are wonderful composers and librettists out there. It's the lack of creative producers that is troubling.

I am not one of the great composers. All the great have produced enormously. There is everything in their work - the best and the worst, but there is always quantity. But I have written relatively little.