Celibidache's phenomenological view of Music, individual tempo, classical music's interpretation

"What did I learn from Furtwängler? One idea which opened all doors for my whole life and for all my studies: When the young Celibidache asked him: "Maestro, this transition in this Bruckner-symphony - how fast is it? What do you beat there?" "What do you mean by 'how fast'? he replied. It depends on what it sounds like! When it sounds rich and deep I get slower, when it sounds dry and brittle I have to get faster." He adjusts according to what he actually hears! According to the actual result, and not to a theory! "92 beats per minute." - What does '92' mean in the Berlin Philharmonic, and what does it mean in Munich or in Vienna? What nonsense! Each concerthall, each piece and each movement has its individual tempo which represents a unique situation". These words, that Celi (how everybody used to call him in Munich) used to repeat in almost every interview, summmarize the Celibidache's unique and special conception of Music, underlining the importance of such a strong and charismatic figure for the development of classical music's interpretation in the 20th Century.