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Leopold Stokowski Quotes (1882-1977)
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About Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977), born Leopold Anthony Stokowski in London, also known as Leopold Antoni Stanisław Bolesławowicz Stokowski, was a famous orchestral conductor, and founder of the New York City Symphony Orchestra. He arranged the music for Disney’s Fantasia (1940), making a brief appearance in the film.
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Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful Leopold Stokowski quotes.
“On matters of intonation and technicalities I am more than a martinet— I am a martinetissimo.”
“I simply make music, and people have always been foolish enough to pay me for it. I never told them that I would have done it all for nothing. CBS TV 1976”
“I understand you are doing "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." I would love to do that for you. I will do it for nothing.
• Unsourced variant: I would like to conduct that for you.”
• Unsourced variant: I would like to conduct that for you.”
“It is my profound wish that this entire collection shall be devoted to the advancement of fine music for the continued enjoyment of music enthusiasts throughout the United States, be they students of the arts, performing artists, or members of that vast audience of music lovers among the American public.”
“I believe that music can be an inspirational force in all our lives — that its eloquence and the depth of its meaning are all-important, and that all personal considerations concerning musicians and the public are relatively unimportant — that music come from the heart and returns to the heart — that music is spontaneous, impulsive expression — that its range is without limit — that music is forever growing — that music can be one element to help us build a new conception of life in which the madness and cruelty of wars will be replaced by a simple understanding of the brotherhood of man.
Music can be all things to all men. It is like a great dynamic sun in the center of a solar system which sends out its rays and inspiration in every direction. … It is as if the heavens open and a divine voice calls. Something in our souls responds and understands. We are speaking here of the most inspired music.”
Music can be all things to all men. It is like a great dynamic sun in the center of a solar system which sends out its rays and inspiration in every direction. … It is as if the heavens open and a divine voice calls. Something in our souls responds and understands. We are speaking here of the most inspired music.”
Leopold Stokowski Quotes by Topic
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Leopold Stokowski on Solar System
“Music can be all things to all persons. It is like a great dynamic Sun in the center of a solar system which sends out its rays and inspiration in every direction.... Music makes us feel that the heavens open and a divine voice calls. Something in our souls responds and understands.”
Leopold Stokowski on Inspiration
“I believe that music can be an inspirational force in all our lives — that its eloquence and the depth of its meaning are all-important, and that all personal considerations concerning musicians and the public are relatively unimportant — that music come from the heart and returns to the heart — that music is spontaneous, impulsive expression — that its range is without limit — that music is forever growing — that music can be one element to help us build a new conception of life in which the madness and cruelty of wars will be replaced by a simple understanding of the brotherhood of man. Music can be all things to all men. It is like a great dynamic sun in the center of a solar system which sends out its rays and inspiration in every direction. … It is as if the heavens open and a divine voice calls. Something in our souls responds and understands. We are speaking here of the most inspired music.”
Quotes About Leopold Stokowski
Gain deeper perspective through quotes about Leopold Stokowski from others.
Oscar Levant on Leopold Stokowski
“I would like to have been present, if I could have my choice of all moments in music history, when Stokowski suddenly became conscious of his beautiful hands. That must have been a moment. Like stout Cortez [sic] on a peak in Darien (I know it was Balboa) he saw before him a limitless expanse, a whole uncharted sea that might be subjected to his influence, free from the encumbrance of a baton.”
Virgil Thomson on Leopold Stokowski
“His ambition to shine and his lack of a sound musical culture have led him often into distorted interpretations and into lapses of musical taste that have enraged musicians on three continents. ... His whole performance is a violation of musical tradition and taste the more surprising in that he has always managed to remain high in his profession notwithstanding.”
About Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977), born Leopold Anthony Stokowski in London, also known as Leopold Antoni Stanisław Bolesławowicz Stokowski, was a famous orchestral conductor, and founder of the New York City Symphony Orchestra. He arranged the music for Disney’s Fantasia (1940), making a brief appearance in the film.