Orchestras are like people. They're the sonic embodiment of their community.
What really counts isn't whether your instrument is Baroque or modern: it's your mindset.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The effectiveness of your performance is determined more by your mindset than the quality of your instrument.
Simon Rattle's quote emphasizes the importance of mindset over material possessions or external tools in achieving success. Regardless of whether one uses a traditional Baroque instrument or a contemporary one, it is the attitude and mental approach of the musician that truly determines the quality of the performance and the impact on the audience. This highlights the idea that personal growth and artistic expression stem from an internal mindset rather than external circumstances.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of attitude in creative fields, one might quote, 'What really counts isn't whether your instrument is Baroque or modern: it's your mindset.'
More from Simon Rattle
All quotes βI've always had a profound conviction that great music is about joy, even in the face of tragedy.
We need to bring music to the people, even to those who normally do not listen to classical music.
I believe if you're not completely in love with what you're doing, you'd better find another profession.
Some of my favorite music in the world is Haydn. I had a sabbatical one year and made myself one promise: to play a different Haydn piano sonata each day - they are inexhaustible treasures.
We have to be evangelists for music. We couldn't just be high priests of music.
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