Germany will never be a real, free thinking and free feeling friend of Israel, because it will always fall under this shadow.

Now the first step has to be taken, the step towards democracy. This step is full of risks, and requires trust on all sides. We don't know where it will lead. But if we just stand still, we will have no chance of escaping the violence.

And in English you have this wonderful difference between listening and hearing, and that you can hear without listening, and you can listen and not hear.

An Israeli who thinks that his government is doing everything right wouldn't join the Divan Orchestra in the first place.

You can't expect someone born into a family with no music...to understand when I'm conducting the Schönberg Variations.

In the beginning, there was silence. And out of the silence came the sound. The sound is not here.

I love conducting. What I'm tired of is music administration. I don't want that. I just want to make music.