Describing his similarities to Seiji Ozawa First of all, both of us seem to
take the same simple joy in our work. Whatever differences there might be
between making music and writing fiction, both of us are happiest when absorbed
in our work. And the very fact that we are able to become so totally engrossed
in it gives us the deepest satisfaction. What we end up producing as a result of
that work may well be important, but aside from that, our ability to work with
utter concentration and to devote ourselves to it so completely that we forget
the passage of time is its own irreplaceable reward.
Secondly, we both maintain the same “hungry heart” we possessed in our youth,
that persistent feeling that “this is not good enough,” that we must dig deeper,
forge farther ahead. This is the major motif of our work and our lives.
Observing Ozawa in action, I could feel the depth and intensity of the desire he
brought to his work. He was convinced of his own rightness and proud of what he
was doing, but not in the least satisfied with it. I could see he knew he should
be able to make the music even better, even deeper, and he was determined to
make it happen even as he struggled with the constraints of time and his own
physical strength.
The third of our shared traits is stubbornness. We’re patient, tough, and,
finally, just plain stubborn. Once we’ve decided to do something in a certain
way, it doesn’t matter what anybody else says, that’s how we’re going to do it.
And even if, as a result, we find ourselves in dire straits, possibly even
hated, we will take responsibility for our actions without making excuses. Ozawa
is an utterly unpretentious person who is constantly cracking jokes, but he is
also extremely sensitive to his surroundings, and his priorities are clear. Once
he has made his mind up, he doesn’t waver. Or at least that is how he appears to
me.