Quote
"Asked if he had ever conducted any Stockhausen, he said, "No, but I once trod in some."

Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras. From the early 20th century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to the BBC, was Britain
"Asked if he had ever conducted any Stockhausen, he said, "No, but I once trod in some."
"Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory."
"I found it as alluring as a wayward woman and determined to tame it."
"Too much counterpoint; what is worse, Protestant counterpoint."
"The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought."
"What can you do with it? Its like a lot of yaks jumping about."
"A musicologist is a man who can read music but cant hear it."
"No composer has written as much as 100 bars of worthwhile music since 1925."
"The musical equivalent of the towers of St Pancras Station"
"If I cannot sing a work, I cannot conduct it."
"The grand tune is the only thing in music that the great public really understands."