I Never Studied, But I Had The

There Is Too Much Emphasis On Technical Perfection Nowadays, And Not Enough On What Music Is Actually About - Irony, Joy, Human Suffering, Love.

In 1948 The First Severe Crash Occurred In My Life When Stalin Put Out His Decree On Formalism. There Was A Bulletin Board In The Moscow Conservatory. They Posted The Decree, Which Said Shostakovichs Compositions And Prokofievs Were No Longer To Be Played.

The Cello Is A Hero Because Of Its Register - Its Tenor Voice. It Is A Masculine Instrument, Whereas The Violin Is Feminine Because Of Its Soprano Pitch. When The Cello Enters In The Dvorak Concerto, It Is Like A Great Orator.

I Played With The Best Conductors Of The World.

I Would Rather Have Ideas And Some Difficulties Of Technique Than A Perfect Technique And No Ideas.