At the age of 16, something happened with my finger and the doctor told me, you never can be a organist or pianist, so think about what you do with music.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
And at the same time, I had my very first concert at the age of 16. I hadn't heard a symphony orchestra before, and I was so deeply impressed I said I have to be a conductor.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
I can go in front of an orchestra. I can go in front of an audience. But if you see me walking through an audience in the reception or through a lot of people, I'm still shy.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
Sometimes if you have very confident people, you have to tell them please, be polite, there are other players are good enough as you and you should never speak out of an orchestra.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
Even my family laughed at me because they thought this young guy who's always stuttering in front of other people should be in front of 100 musicians and talk to them and leading them.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
And to understand this, I think this is a most important point where I would like always to be understood what we do with the New York Philharmonic. That the meaning of the music is number one.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
I believe so, but at first he must know. He must know in which spirit Beethoven has composed this piece. He must try to study that. And he must find out in which station of life of Beethoven he did.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. But if you play with them Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn, they have a wonderful light feeling for that.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
You know as I started as a shy young conductor, I always wanted to cooperate. To build up the musicians. To help them to be better than without a conductor. And sometimes young talented musicians have to be encouraged.
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
As I came to New York, it was for me a new beginning. To discover what people are living here. What do they need, what do they expect, what would they like to be the image and the performance of the New York Philharmonic?
quote by Kurt Masur
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!