Eugene Ormandy has been placed on a musical pedestal for his many accomplishments. He's best remembered for his 42-year run as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1938 to 1980. Unless you are a musician, however, you may not know of another aspect of Ormandy...the creative way in which he expressed himself - verbally. A collection of Ormandy's quotations assembled over the years by orchestra members is now housed at Arizona State University. Another "colorful verbalist" is Yogi Berra, who has for years decorated the English language with what are best described as "Yogi-isms." There are the well-known: "When you come to a fork in the road...take it." ...and the more obscure: When asked what he thought of the opera Tosca, he replied, "I really liked it. Even the music was good."
Quiz: Identify Who Said Each of The Following
For "research purposes," I have juxtaposed a few of my favorites from each, Ormandy and Berra. Some are readily identifiable as being from one or the other. Others, not so much. You'll find a key below. Good luck!
- "All of you are ready to start, so I must be ready."
- "Let me explain what I do here. I don't want to confuse you any more than absolutely necessary."
- "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there."
- "It gets late early out there."
- "That was perfect. It was just the opposite from what I said yesterday."
- "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't go to yours."
Before I give you the answers, here's a taste of Yogi Berra's still formidable verbal gifts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG0zS_Rgg68 How did you do? For more quotes by both Ormandy and Berra, click on their names below. Answers: Ormandy...1, 2, 5. Berra...3, 4, 6.