Toscanini quote

[snopes]

Comment: I was wondering if Toscanini ever said this. Variations of this
story pop up on various religious websites:


Arturo Toscanini was the brilliant but temperamental conductor of the
Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra. Famous for his mastery of the "art"
of negative motivation, he would often berate and belittle his musicians
in his passionate quest for symphonic perfection.

One night, after an almost flawless performance of Beethoven's Fifth
Symphony, an enraptured audience applauded enthusiastically through
several curtain calls. It was one of those magical moments that all
professional musicians live for. As the final curtain fell and the
orchestra was basking in the warmth of the listeners' accolades, the
maestro grew somber and then began to speak in a hoarse whisper.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "you are nothing." That did not surprise
them because he often reminded them of that. But then he said something
that caught them completely off guard. "And I am nothing." That was
something they had never heard. He continued, "But Beethoven--Beethoven is
everything!"