140 Quotes by Daniel Barenboim

The historical importance of a composer does not always go hand in hand with the quality of their work.

On Nov. 5, 2012, my friend Elliott Carter died in New York at the age of 103. For me, he was and remains one of the most interesting figures of music history in the past century.

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.

I am convinced that 100 years from now, people will talk about Elliott Carter as one of the most important figures in the second half of 20th-century music.

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.

The greatness of a musician is measured by the degree of fanaticism he brings to his playing.

In Arab culture, music is for celebration. You don't play music at funerals.

I have loved Elliott Carter's music for many years.

The problem with listening to music today is that there's so much of it everywhere. We've got used to hearing music without actually listening to it.