James Levine
James Levine
James Lawrence Levineis an American conductor and pianist. He is primarily known for his tenure as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, a position he held for 40 years. He has made numerous recordings, as well as television and radio broadcasts, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Levine 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...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionComposer
Date of Birth23 June 1943
CityCincinnati, OH
CountryUnited States of America
James Levine quotes about
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.
When they are performing in front of the public, they ought to have a sensation that's relatively easy, if the technical and the interpretive work was done before.
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.
We do not seem to be finding tomorrow's Toscas.
What's interesting is that both men and women are struggling with this issue in remarkably similar percentages, but the big difference is that women tend to talk about this when men keep it silent.
Women tend to have recognition and peer group support - recognition from friends and family that this has to be a big issue in their lives. They're more comfortable expressing the need for support and receiving it.
Where my tastes in music are concerned, I'm a real maximalist.
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.
People are turning away from the more formal, traditionally posed wedding photos to a more intimate and natural approach,
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.
You try on purpose to get players with different qualities which will rub off on one another.
It's just that, when the orchestra look at me, I want them to see a completely involved person who reflects what we rehearsed, and whose function is to make it possible for them to do it.
They've really got to recognize that all of us bring some of our family issues to work and our work home.
The invisible dilemma is that men face the very real problem that they don't feel comfortable bringing these issues up and they tend not to be acknowledged at work.