Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur
Kurt Masurwas a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Gewandhaus, and also served as music director of the New York Philharmonic...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth18 July 1927
CountryGermany
music number point understood york
And to understand this, I think this is a most important point where I would like always to be understood what we do with the New York Philharmonic. That the meaning of the music is number one.
beethoven believe composed life station
I believe so, but at first he must know. He must know in which spirit Beethoven has composed this piece. He must try to study that. And he must find out in which station of life of Beethoven he did.
symphony age orchestra
And at the same time, I had my very first concert at the age of 16. I hadn't heard a symphony orchestra before, and I was so deeply impressed I said I have to be a conductor.
new-york new-beginnings people
As I came to New York, it was for me a new beginning. To discover what people are living here. What do they need, what do they expect, what would they like to be the image and the performance of the New York Philharmonic?
light japan play
If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. But if you play with them Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn, they have a wonderful light feeling for that.
different today young
I was different from most young conductors today.
character mind orchestra
You have to change your mind with every orchestra because every orchestra has a different character.
player speaks-out people
Sometimes if you have very confident people, you have to tell them please, be polite, there are other players are good enough as you and you should never speak out of an orchestra.
people shy orchestra
I can go in front of an orchestra. I can go in front of an audience. But if you see me walking through an audience in the reception or through a lot of people, I'm still shy.
shy kind shyness
What I never overcame is a kind of shyness.
character mind habit
I wouldn't say I've changed my mind. I changed some of my natural habits, some of my natural character.
strong enough grows
And if you are strong enough, then you can grow as a conductor more and more.
war opportunity world
Even I had no opportunity to conduct very many concerts after World War II.
stars people
And I always tried to be not a star. To be someone who people like to talk to.