There is too much employer-employee relationship in America. I wish the musicians would feel that many decisions have to do with them and not delegate everything to management or to the board or to the committee. This is why you get a sense of pride in some of the European orchestras: because they are part of the decision-making. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
There are many wonderful orchestras in the world, but very few who have a character or personality of their own. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of them, and I think it very important to recognize and respect that character. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
For me personally, Elliott Carter was and remains one of the most meaningful composers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries because he represents substance. He was the living proof of uncompromising, complex music, which at first seems inaccessible. But it becomes accessible if one digs in and sees the development through. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
The historical importance of a composer does not always go hand in hand with the quality of their work. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
People need to have enough to eat and have work and money. But there are other things that are important. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
Most of the dramatism in Wagner comes from a very close link between the music and the language of the text. So much of the expressivity of Wagner’s music dramas comes from the singers’ capacity to play with the sound of the language. This kind of thing you can do very well in concert performance. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
Live life to the full, and become more curious every day. The more you find out about life, the richer your music-making will be. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
Playing and listening to music gives you a sense of fulfilment because you have to put everything in you at its disposal. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote
I get no satisfaction just showing myself in every corner of the world every week. Daniel Barenboim Read Quote