James Levine Quotes

• I thought I’d write one book and the world would change overnight.

  James Levine

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Overnight, Write

• I think this orchestra’s strengths involve drama and voice.

  James Levine

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  Tags in Orchestra, Strengths, Drama, Voice

• I have a big problem with conductors who gesture a lot.

  James Levine

  Tags in Gesture, Conductors

• I grew up in an era where an orchestra was like a treasure chest.

  James Levine

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  Tags in Orchestra, Grew, Era, Treasure

• I can imagine wanting to work with this ensemble and this company always.

  James Levine

  Tags in Ensemble

• Great cataclysmic things can go by and neither the orchestra nor the conductor are under the delusion that whether they make this or that gesture is going to be the deciding factor in how it comes out.

  James Levine

  Tags in Delusion, Orchestra, Factor, Cataclysmic, Conductor

• Everybody blames the culture without taking responsibility.

  James Levine

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Responsibility, Blame

• But the important thing is to lie down and fall asleep. That little nap means you wake up fresh again and can continue.

  James Levine

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  Tags in Wake, Nap, Asleep

• At my age, you are naturally inclined towards teaching.

  James Levine

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  Tags in Naturally, Inclined, Teaching

• As major orchestras around the world are gripped in various kinds of crises and upheaval, we need to be sure that we are bringing up this new generation.

  James Levine

  Tags in Bringing, Orchestras, Upheavals, Crises

• And, over the last thirty years we have seen men’s participation in both housework and childcare has increased and women’s have stayed at about the same.

  James Levine

  Tags in Housework, Increased, Participation, Stayed

• And so, little by little, I gradually divested myself of pretty nearly all of the guest conducting I used to do, because I was at the same time working in the places like the Met, where I could work in this sort of depth.

  James Levine

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Gradually, Conducting, Divested, Guest, Pretty

• It was just that we had this phenomenal honeymoon relationship that just kept on going.

  James Levine

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  Tags in Phenomenal, Relationship, Dating

• Employee fathers need to step up to the plate and put their family needs on the table.

  James Levine

  Topics in Father

  Tags in Dad

• A lot of people get impatient with the pace of change.

  James Levine

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Change, Impatient

• Nobody regrets this more than I do.

  James Levine

• The more I work on his pieces, I find that their fundamental life energy is irresistible, and it increases. It’s such marvelous music, with such personality, thought and care and detail. We have a number of very marvelous composers, but to see Elliott at this age so enthusiastic, wanting to do it and being able to do it, is amazing.

  James Levine

• I’d rather they come an hour before and read the program notes, so that they have some slight introduction to what they’re going to hear. Then I recommend the most important thing of all. Listen, don’t fight.

  James Levine

• I find it always sad when there’s something that means a lot to me in music and there are people who can’t get the exposure to it ever to understand it, let alone love it.

  James Levine

• Art has never been a popularity contest.

  James Levine

James Levine (46)

Birth:	23rd June, 1943
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Conductor, Pianist

About

James Lawrence Levine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He is an American conductor and pianist. He graduated from the Juilliard School in 1964 and joined the American Conductors project connected with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He is primarily known for his tenure as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, a position he held for 40 years. He has also held leadership positions with the Ravinia Festival, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1980, he started the Lindemann Young Artists Development Program and often works to train promising singers, conductors, and musicians for professional careers.

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Today's Anniversary - 18th December

Births

• 1913 - Willy Brandt
• 1950 - Leonard Maltin
• 1970 - Victoria Pratt
• 1931 - Allen Klein
• 1888 - Robert Moses

Deaths

• 1999 - Robert Bresson
• 2011 - Vaclav Havel
• 1855 - Samuel Rogers
• 1975 - Theodosius Dobzhansky
• 1892 - Richard Owen