I really recommend the following. Before you're going to hear a piece, any piece, for the first time, don't do anything. Just go an hour early and read the program notes. Then you have some idea about how long it is, the instrumentation, what the idea of it is, the pure general shell. Then, when the piece is played, don't fight with it. Listen to it. And if you find anything that fascinates you, then here's the important thing: Go hear it again, soon. James Levine
Motivational, Inspirational, Funny Quotes
![[And when Levine explains his approach, it is not just a theory. He has been called one of the world's 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. - James Levine Quotes](/pic/img/img.php?text=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&author=ICBKYW1lcyBMZXZpbmUgICAg&num=12 "[And when Levine explains his approach, it is not just a theory. He has been called one of the world's 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. - James Levine Quotes")
