Joshua Koshman quoting Simon Rattle, SF Chronicle, 6/7/02 -

   "I was really sure Daniel would get it, because he is so linked to
   their tradition and the way they play. It would have made an immense
   amount of sense.

   I'm just glad I didn't put any of my own money on him.

   "But some people in the orchestra told me later, 'We know what it
   would have been like with Daniel -- it would have been very good.
   With you, we have no idea what it will be like, and that's exciting.'

   "Another musician told me, 'We want to be the orchestra of the 21st
   century.

   We don't know what that means, and we don't think you do either, but
   we think we can find out together.' "

   That's not to say Rattle isn't a little daunted at the prospect of
   working with an orchestra he describes as "consisting entirely of
   John Malkoviches, like in the movie."

   http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/06/07/DD193182.DTL

Matching Rattle's Malkovich comment:  sometimes there is substance to hype.
I think it's just as true for Rattle as Beckham proved it for himself this
morning at the World Cup.  In both cases, my bets paid off.

Janos Gereben/SF
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