Quotes by James Levine

“We do not seem to be finding tomorrows Toscas.”

“[And when Levine explains his approach, it is not just a theory. He has been called one of the worlds great orchestra builders during his time at the Met.] So much has to do with what they do instinctively, what they do perfectly without having to rehearse it, how they interact with colleagues, ... whether what they give keeps getting bigger and bigger in the orchestra or whether they shrink somehow.”

“All you have to do is ask any child, frankly. You dont have to ask a child development researcher if fathers make a difference. All kids will tell you that the presence of a father makes a big difference.”

“People are turning away from the more formal, traditionally posed wedding photos to a more intimate and natural approach,”

“I very rarely have clients who want posed group shots before the wedding. Theyd rather I capture the quiet moments -- a stolen kiss between the bride and groom before they enter their reception as a married couple.”

“Birgit was unique! Her voice, her artistry, her sense of humor and her friendship were in a class of their own. I was so fortunate to hear her sing many times over the years, and eventually to work with her on several memorable occasions with Wagner and Strauss.”

“Art has never been a popularity contest.”

“I find it always sad when theres something that means a lot to me in music and there are people who cant get the exposure to it ever to understand it, let alone love it.”

“Id rather they come an hour before and read the program notes, so that they have some slight introduction to what theyre going to hear. Then I recommend the most important thing of all. Listen, dont fight.”

“My 40th year will be 10-11 and we will have another two years to go to complete the new Ring, and I committed to Peter that I would stay that long in any case.”

It has to be able to play at the maximum expression and communication in every style, and the only way you can do that is - like Verdi said - working with a file, every day, little by little, until the orchestras collective qualities emerge.

Most people treat the office manual the way they treat a software manual. They never look at it.

I was lucky that I met the right mentors and teachers at the right moment.

More and more couples are having this negotiation or discussion, but Im still amazed at the number who arent and where the cultural norm sort of kicks in and they just assume that moms got to be the one who stays home, not dad.

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

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

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