'Each member of the orchestra plays his own little instrument, and what do you think he knows of the complicated harmonies which unroll themselves on the indifferent air?

“管弦乐队的每个成员都演奏自己的小乐器，你认为他对在冷漠的空气中展开的复杂和声了解多少？

Many hours have been spent not just in concerts given by the six conductor-orchestra pairs taken as his subject, but in observing them in the rehearsals beforehand and quizzing members of the orchestra about their side of the experience.

作者花了大量时间，不仅探索了作为书中主人公的六位指挥家和他们乐队的音乐会，还深入了解了他们前期的排练，“拷问”乐队成员，从他们的角度寻找答案。