My future is in my past and my past is my present. I must now make the present my future.
Vladimir HorowitzRead
I must tell you I take terrible risks. Because my playing is very clear, when I make a mistake you hear it. If you want me to play only the notes without any specific dynamics, I will never make one mistake. Never be afraid to dare.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Taking risks in performance can lead to greater expression and creativity, despite the possibility of mistakes.
Vladimir Horowitz emphasizes the importance of taking risks in music performance. He believes that while playing with emotional dynamics makes it easier to detect mistakes, it allows for a more authentic and expressive interpretation. Horowitz encourages musicians to embrace the potential for errors in order to create a more powerful and resonant experience, highlighting that the willingness to dare is essential for artistic growth.
Themes
RisksMusicPerformanceDaringExpression
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be fitting to share with music students to encourage them to take creative risks.
More from Vladimir Horowitz
All quotes →I may play the same program from one recital to the next, but I will play it differently, and because it is always different, it is always new.
Vladimir HorowitzRead
The score is not a bible, and I am never afraid to dare. The music is behind those dots.
Vladimir HorowitzRead
You have to open the music, so to speak, and see what's behind the notes because the notes are the same whether it is the music of Bach or someone else.
Vladimir HorowitzRead
Always there should be a little mistake here and there - I am for it. The people who don't do mistakes are cold like ice. It takes risk to make a mistake. If you don't take risk, you are boring.
Vladimir HorowitzRead
For me, the intellect is always the guide but not the goal of the performance. Three things have to be coordinated, and not one must stick out. Not too much intellect because it can become scholastic. Not too much heart because it can become schmaltz. Not too much technique because you become a mechanic.
Vladimir HorowitzRead
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