The transformative power of classical music | Benjamin Zander | TED

Translator: Juan Jose Sanchez Penas Reviewer: Juan Marcos Perez Gulin

Probably a lot of you know the story of the two salesmen

Seguramente moitos de vós coñecedes a historia dos dous vendedores

who went down to Africa in the 1900s.

que baixaron a África nos primeiros anos do século XX.

They were sent down to find if there was any opportunity

Enviáronos para ver se había algunha oportunidade

para vender zapatos.

for selling shoes,

and they wrote telegrams back to Manchester.

E dende aló enviaron uns telegramas a Manchester.

And one of them wrote,

E un deles escrebeu: "Situación desesperanzadora. Stop.

"Situation hopeless. Stop. They don't wear shoes."

Non levan zapatos postos".

And the other one wrote,

E o outro escrebeu: "Magnífica oportunidade.

"Glorious opportunity. They don't have any shoes yet."

Ainda non levan zapatos postos".

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

Now, there's a similar situation in the classical music world,

Ben, pois hai unha situación semellante no mundo da música clásica,

because there are some people who think that classical music is dying.

porque hai algunha xente que pensa

que a música clásica está a morrer.

And there are some of us who think you ain't seen nothing yet.

E hai algúns de nós que pensamos que está todo por ver.

And rather than go into statistics and trends,

E mellor que ir ás estatísticas e as modas

and tell you about all the orchestras that are closing,

e falarvos de todas as orquestas que están a pechar,

and the record companies that are folding,

e as discográficas que están a virse abaixo,

I thought we should do an experiment tonight.

Pensei que deberíamos facer un experimento esta noite -- un experimento.

Actually, it's not really an experiment, because I know the outcome.

De feito, non é realmente un experimento porque eu sei o resultado.

(Laughter)

But it's like an experiment.

Mais é como un experimento. Agora ben, antes de --

Now, before we start --

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

Before we start, I need to do two things.

-- antes de comezar, preciso dúas cousas.

One is I want to remind you of what a seven-year-old child

A primeira, é que vos quero recordar como sona un neno de 7 anos

sounds like when he plays the piano.

cando toca o piano.

Maybe you have this child at home.

Se cadra tedes este neno na casa.

He sounds something like this.

Sona máis ou menos así.

(Music)

(Piano)

(Music ends)

I see some of you recognize this child.

Vexo que algúns de vós recoñecedes a este neno.

Agora ben, se practica durante un ano e toma leccións, ten 8 anos

Now, if he practices for a year and takes lessons, he's now eight

and he sounds like this.

(Music)

e sona así.

(Piano)

(Music ends)

He practices for another year and takes lessons -- he's nine.

Entón practica durante outro ano, e toma leccións; agora ten 9.

(Music)

(Piano)

(Music ends)

Then he practices for another year and takes lessons -- now he's 10.

Entón practica durante outro ano e toma leccións: agora ten 10.

(Piano)

(Music)

(Music ends)

At that point, they usually give up.

Nese momento normalmente abandona.

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

Now, if you'd waited for one more year, you would have heard this.

Agora ben, se esperases, se esperases un ano máis,

terías escoitado isto:

(Music)

(Piano)

(Music ends)

Now, what happened was not maybe what you thought,

Agora ben, o que aconteceu non foi se cadra o que pensáchedes,

which is, he suddenly became passionate, engaged,

que de súpeto se voltara apaixoado, comprometido,

involved, got a new teacher, he hit puberty, or whatever it is.

involucrado, que tivo un novo profesor, chegou á pubertade, ou o que sexa.

O que aconteceu foi que os impulsos se reduciron.

What actually happened was the impulses were reduced.

You see, the first time, he was playing with an impulse on every note.

Vedes, a primeira vez el tocaba

cun impulso en cada nota.

(Music)

(Piano)

And the second, with an impulse every other note.

E a segunda vez cun impulso cada dúas notas.

(Music)

(Piano)

You can see it by looking at my head.

Podedes velo mirando a miña cabeza.

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

The nine-year-old put an impulse on every four notes.

O de 9 anos, o de 9 anos

puña un impulso cada catro notas.

(Piano)

(Music)

The 10-year-old, on every eight notes.

E o de 10 anos cada 8 notas.

(Piano)

(Music)

And the 11-year-old, one impulse on the whole phrase.

E o de 11 anos, un impulso en toda a frase.

(Piano)

(Music)

I don't know how we got into this position.

Seino -- non sei como cheguei a esta posición.

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

I didn't say, "I'm going to move my shoulder over, move my body."

Non dixen que fora a mover a miñas costas ou o meu corpo.

Non, a música levoume a facelo,

No, the music pushed me over,

which is why I call it one-buttock playing.

que é o motivo polo que o chamo tocar a unha nádega.

(Music)

(Piano)

It can be the other buttock.

Pode ser a outra nádega.

(Piano)

(Music)

You know, a gentleman was once watching a presentation I was doing,

Sabedes, un cabaleiro estaba unha vez vendo unha presentación miña

cando estaba a traballar cun pianista novo.

when I was working with a young pianist.

El era o presiente dunha corporación en Ohio.

He was the president of a corporation in Ohio.

E eu estaba a traballar con este pianista novo

I was working with this young pianist, and said,

"The trouble with you is you're a two-buttock player.

e dixen, "o teu problema é que és un pianista de dúas nádegas.

Deberías ser un pianista de unha nádega."

You should be a one-buttock player."

I moved his body while he was playing.

E movín o seu corpo dese xeito cando estaba tocando.

And suddenly, the music took off. It took flight.

E de súpeto a música despegou. Colleu voo.

The audience gasped when they heard the difference.

Houbo un suspiro na audiencia cando escoitaron a diferencia.

Then I got a letter from this gentleman.

Entón recibín unha carta deste cabaleiro.

He said, "I was so moved.

El dixo, "estaba tan emocionado.

Voltei e transformei toda a miña empresa

I went back and I transformed my entire company

into a one-buttock company."

nunha empresa dunha nádega."

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

Now, the other thing I wanted to do is to tell you about you.

Ben, a outra cousa que quería facer é falarvos de vós.

Hai 1.600 persoas, penso.

There are 1,600 people, I believe.

My estimation is that probably 45 of you

A miña estimación é que probablemente 45 de vós

are absolutely passionate about classical music.

sodes apaixoados absolutos da música clásica.

You adore classical music. Your FM is always on that classical dial.

Adorades a música clásica. A vosa radio está sempre nese dial clásico.

You have CDs in your car, and you go to the symphony,

E tedes CDs no voso coche, e ides escoitar a sinfónica.

your children are playing instruments.

E os vosos nenos tocan instrumentos.

Non podedes imaxinar a vosa vida sen música clásica.

You can't imagine your life without classical music.

That's the first group, quite small.

Ese é o primeiro grupo; un grupo bastante pequeno.

Then there's another bigger group.

Hai outro grupo máis grande.

The people who don't mind classical music.

O composto pola xente á que non lle molesta a música clásica.

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

You know, you've come home from a long day,

Xa sabedes, chegaches a casa despois dun longo día

and you take a glass of wine, and you put your feet up.

colles un vaso de viño e recóstaste.

A little Vivaldi in the background doesn't do any harm.

Un pouco de Vivaldi de fondo non fai ningún dano.

(Sorrisos)

That's the second group.

Ese é o segundo grupo.

Now comes the third group:

Agora ven o terceiro grupo.

people who never listen to classical music.

O composto pola xente que nunca escoita música clásica.

Simplemente non é parte da súa vida.

It's just simply not part of your life.

You might hear it like second-hand smoke at the airport ...

Podedes escoitala como fume de segunda man no aeroporto, pero --

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

-- and maybe a little bit of a march from "Aida"

-- e quizais un pouco dunha marcha de Aida

cando entrades na sala. Pero á marxe diso, nunca a escoitades.

when you come into the hall.

But otherwise, you never hear it.

That's probably the largest group.

Este é probábelmente o grupo maior.

E despois está un grupo moi pequeno.

And then there's a very small group.

These are the people who think they're tone-deaf.

O composto por aqueles que pensan que non teñen ouvido musical.

Un incríbel número de xente pensa que non ten ouvido musical.

Amazing number of people think they're tone-deaf.

Actually, I hear a lot, "My husband is tone-deaf."

De feito, escoito frecuentemente, "o meu marido non ten ouvido musical."

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

Actually, you cannot be tone-deaf.

De feito, non podedes non ter ouvido musical. Ninguén carece de ouvido musical.

Nobody is tone-deaf.

Se non tivérades ouvido musical, non poderiades cambiar as marchas

If you were tone-deaf, you couldn't change the gears

on your car, in a stick shift car.

no voso coche, nun coche con cambio manual.

You couldn't tell the difference between

Non poderiades ver a diferencia entre

somebody from Texas and somebody from Rome.

alguén de Texas e alguén de Roma.

E o teléfono. O teléfono. Se a vosa nai chama

And the telephone. The telephone.

If your mother calls

on the miserable telephone, she calls and says, "Hello,"

polo miserábel teléfono, chama e di "Ola,"

you not only know who it is, you know what mood she's in.

non só sabedes quen é, senón en que estado de ánimo se atopa.

You have a fantastic ear. Everybody has a fantastic ear.

Tedes un ouvido fantástico. Todo o mundo ten un ouvido fantástico.

So nobody is tone-deaf.

Así que ninguén carece de ouvido musical.

But I tell you what.

Porén, ¿sabedes o q vos digo? Non me apetece a min continuar con esta cousa

It doesn't work for me to go on with this thing,

with such a wide gulf between those who understand,

con ese abismo tan grande entre os que entenden,

love and are passionate about classical music,

aman e se apaixoan coa música clásica,

e os que non teñen ningunha relación con ela.

and those who have no relationship to it at all.

The tone-deaf people, they're no longer here.

A xente sen ouvio musical, eses xa non están aquí.

Mais incluso entre esas tres categorías, hai un abismo demasiado grande.

But even between those three categories,

it's too wide a gulf.

So I'm not going to go on until every single person in this room,

Así que non vou continuar ata que todas e cada unha das persoas desta sala,

os que están no piso de abaixo, e en Aspen, e todos os demáis que estexan vendo,

downstairs and in Aspen, and everybody else looking,

will come to love and understand classical music.

cheguen a amar e comprender a música clásica.

Así que iso é o que imos facer.

So that's what we're going to do.

Now, you notice that there is not the slightest doubt in my mind

Por certo, notades que non hai a menor dúbida na miña mente

that this is going to work, if you look at my face, right?

se mirades a miña cara, sobre se vai funcionar ou non, verdade?

It's one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt

É unha das características dun líder que non dubide

for one moment the capacity of the people he's leading

por un intre da capacidade da xente que está a liderar

to realize whatever he's dreaming.

para facer realidade o que sexa que está a soñar.

Imaxinade se Martin Luther King tivera dito, "Teño un soño.

Imagine if Martin Luther King had said, "I have a dream.

Of course, I'm not sure they'll be up to it."

E por suposto, non estou seguro de que eles estean á altura."

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

All right. So I'm going to take a piece of Chopin.

Ben. Vou escoller agora unha peza de Chopin.

This is a beautiful prelude by Chopin.

É un preludio fermoso de Chopin. Algúns de vós coñecerédelo.

Some of you will know it.

(Music)

(Música)

Sabedes o que creo que pasou nesta sala?

Do you know what I think probably happened here?

When I started, you thought, "How beautiful that sounds."

Cando comecei, pensáchedes, "Que fermoso sona."

(Music)

(Music)

"I don't think we should go to the same place

"Penso que non deberíamos ir ao mesmo lugar

o próximo ano nas vacacións de verán."

for our summer holidays next year."

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

It's funny, isn't it?

Divertido, verdade? Divertido como eses pensamentos

It's funny how those thoughts kind of waft into your head.

esperan dalgún xeito na vosa cabeza.

E por suposto --

And of course --

(Aplauso)

(Applause)

Of course, if the piece is long and you've had a long day,

-- e por suposto, se a peza é longa e tivéchedes un día longo,

you might actually drift off.

podedes de feito quedarvos durmidos.

Then your companion will dig you in the ribs

Entón o voso acompañante daravos un cobadazo nas costelas

and say, "Wake up! It's culture!" And then you feel even worse.

e dirá, "Acorda! É cultura!" E entón ainda vos sentides peor.

(Laughter)

Mais pensáchedes algunha vez que a razón pola que vos sentides somnolentos

But has it ever occurred to you that the reason you feel sleepy

in classical music is not because of you, but because of us?

na música clásica non é culpa vosa, senón culpa nosa?

Did anybody think while I was playing,

Alguén pensou mentres eu tocaba,

"Why is he using so many impulses?"

"Por que está usando tantos impulsos?"

If I'd done this with my head you certainly would have thought it.

Se tivera feito isto coa miña cabeza seguramente teríadelo pensado.

(Music)

(Música)

(Music ends)

E durante o resto das vosas vidas, cada vez que escoitedes música clásica

And for the rest of your life, every time you hear classical music,

sempre seredes quen de saber se escoitades eses impulsos.

you'll always be able to know if you hear those impulses.

Así que vexamos que está acontecendo realmente aquí.

So let's see what's really going on here.

Temos un Si. Esta é un Si. A seguinte é Do.

We have a B. This is a B.

The next note is a C.

And the job of the C is to make the B sad.

O Do ten a función de facer triste ao Si. ¿Conségueo, verdade?

And it does, doesn't it?

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

Composers know that.

Os compositores sábeno. Se queren música triste

If they want sad music, they just play those two notes.

simplemente tocan esas dúas notas.

(Música)

(Music)

But basically, it's just a B, with four sads.

Mais básicamente é só Si, con catro tristes.

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

Now, it goes down to A.

Agora baixa a La. Agora a Sol, e logo a Fa.

Now to G.

And then to F.

So we have B, A, G, F.

Entón temos Si, La, Sol, Fa. E se temos Si, La, Sol, Fa,

And if we have B, A, G, F,

what do we expect next?

¿que agardamos despois? Ah, podía ter sido unha casualidade.

(Music)

That might have been a fluke.

Let's try it again.

Probemos de novo. Ooh, o coro de TED.

(Music)

Oh, the TED choir.

(Laughter)

(Sorrisos)

¿E notades que non hai ninguén sen ouvido musical? Ninguén.

And you notice nobody is tone-deaf, right?

Nobody is.

Sabedes, en cada aldea de Bangladesh

You know, every village in Bangladesh

e cada aldea da China. Todos saben:

and every hamlet in China -- everybody knows:

da, da, da, da -- da.

da, da, da, da -- da. Todos saben que esperan un Mi.

Everybody knows, who's expecting that E.

Agora ben, Chopin non quería chegar ao Mi aí,

Chopin didn't want to reach the E there,

because what will have happened?

porque que tería acontecido? Tería rematado, como Hamlet.

It will be over, like Hamlet. Do you remember?

Lembrades Hamlet? Acto 1, Escea 3:

Act One, scene three,

he finds out his uncle killed his father.

averigua que o seu tio matou ao seu pai.

Lembrades que continua indo na busca do seu tio

He keeps on going up to his uncle and almost killing him.

e case o mata. E entón retrocede e fuxe

e vai por el de novo e case o mata.

And then he backs away, he goes up to him again, almost kills him.

E os críticos, que están todos sentados aí na fila de atrás

The critics sitting in the back row there,

teñen que tener unha opinión, así que din, "Hamlet é un procastinador."

they have to have an opinion, so they say, "Hamlet is a procrastinator."

(Sorrisos)

Ou din, "Hamlet ten o complexo e Edipo."

Or they say, "Hamlet has an Oedipus complex."

No, otherwise the play would be over, stupid.

Non, é que doutro xeito a obra remataría, estúpido.

(Laughter)

Esa é a razón pola que Shakespeare introduciu todo ese contido en Hamlet.

That's why Shakespeare puts all that stuff in Hamlet --

Ophelia going mad, the play within the play,

Xa sabedes, Ofelia voltándose tola e a obra dentro da obra,

and Yorick's skull, and the gravediggers.

e a calavera de Yorick e os escavadores de tumbas.

That's in order to delay --

Iso ten o obxectivo de retrasar -- ata que no Acto 5 pode matalo.

until Act Five, he can kill him.

Ocorre o mesmo no caso de Chopin. Está a piques chegar a Mi,

It's the same with the Chopin.

He's just about to reach the E,

and he says, "Oops, better go back up and do it again."

e di, "Ups, mellor retroceder e comezar de novo."

E faino de novo.

So he does it again.

Now, he gets excited.

(Music)

E entón excítase -- iso é excitación,

That's excitement, don't worry about it.

non tedes que preocuparvos por iso.

Now, he gets to F-sharp, and finally he goes down to E,

Chega a Fa sostido e finalmente baixa a Mi,

pero é o acorde equivocado. Porque o acorde que está a buscar

but it's the wrong chord --

because the chord he's looking for is this one,

é este, e entón fai...

and instead he does ...

ben, chamámolo unha cadencia enganosa, porque nos engana.

Now, we call that a deceptive cadence,

because it deceives us.

I tell my students, "If you have a deceptive cadence,

Sempre lles digo aos meus estudantes, "Se tedes unha cadencia enganosa

asegurádevos de elevar as vosas cellas, de xeito que todo o mundo o saiba."

raise your eyebrows, and everybody will know."

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

(Applause)

(Aplauso)

Right.

Ben. Entón ven un Mi, pero é o acorde trabucado.

He gets to E, but it's the wrong chord.

Agora, tenta un Mi de novo. Ese acorde non funciona.

Now, he tries E again.

That chord doesn't work.

Agora, proba de novo Mi. Ese acorde non funciona.

Now, he tries the E again. That chord doesn't work.

Now, he tries E again, and that doesn't work.

Agora, ténta Mi de novo, e non funciona.

And then finally ...

E entón finalmente...

Había un cabaleiro la fila de adiante, que dixo, "Mmm."

There was a gentleman in the front row who went, "Mmm."

(Laughter)

It's the same gesture he makes when he comes home

É o mesmo xesto que fai cando chega a casa

despois dun longo día, desconecta a chave no coche e di,

after a long day, turns off the key in his car and says,

"Aah, I'm home."

"Aah, estou na casa." Porque todos sabemos onde está a casa.

Because we all know where home is.

So this is a piece which goes from away to home.

Así que esta é unha peza que ven dende lonxe ata a casa.

I'm going to play it all the way through and you're going to follow.

E vouna tocar completa

e vós ides seguila. Si, Do, Si, Do, Si, Do, Si --

B, C, B, C, B, C, B --

down to A, down to G, down to F.

e baixa a La, baixa a Sol, baixa a Fa.

Almost goes to E, but otherwise the play would be over.

E case chega a Mi, pero nese caso a obra remataría.

He goes back up to B, he gets very excited.

Entón sube de novo a Si. Excítase. Vai a Fa sostido. Vai a Mi.

Goes to F-sharp. Goes to E.

É o acorde incorrecto. É o acorde incorrecto. É o acorde incorrecto.

It's the wrong chord. It's the wrong chord.

And finally goes to E, and it's home.

E finalmente vai a Mi, e é casa.

And what you're going to see is one-buttock playing.

E o que ides ver é tocar a unha nádega.

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

Because for me, to join the B to the E,

Porque para min, para xuntar o Si ao Mi,

I have to stop thinking about every single note along the way,

teño que parar de pensar en cada unha das notas do camiño

e comezar a pensar na longa longa liña dende Si ata Mi.

and start thinking about the long, long line from B to E.

You know, we were just in South Africa, and you can't go to South Africa

Xa entendedes, estamos en Suráfrica, e non se pode ir a Suráfrica

sen pensar en Mandela na cadea durante 27 anos.

without thinking of Mandela in jail for 27 years.

What was he thinking about? Lunch?

En que estaba el a pensar? Na comida?

No, he was thinking about the vision for South Africa

Non, estaba a pensar na visión para Suráfrica

and for human beings.

e para os seres humanos. Iso é o que permaneceu --

This is about vision. This is about the long line.

isto é sobre a visión; é sobre a liña longa.

Like the bird who flies over the field

Como o paxaro que voa sobre un campo

and doesn't care about the fences underneath, all right?

e non se preocupa dos valados que sobrevoa, verdade?

So now, you're going to follow the line all the way from B to E.

Así que agora imos seguir toda a liña dende Si ata Mi.

And I've one last request before I play this piece all the way through.

E teño unha última solicitude, antes de tocar a peza completa.

Would you think of somebody who you adore,

Poderiades pensar nalguén ao que adoredes, que xa non estea?

who's no longer there?

Unha avoa querida, un amor,

A beloved grandmother, a lover --

somebody in your life who you love with all your heart,

alguén na vosa vida ao que queredes con todo o voso corazón,

pero que esa persoa xa non está con vós.

but that person is no longer with you.

Bring that person into your mind,

Traede esa persoa á vosa mente, e ao mesmo tempo

and at the same time,

seguide toda a liña que vai de Si a Mi,

follow the line all the way from B to E,

and you'll hear everything that Chopin had to say.

e escoitaredes o que Chopen tiña que dicir.

(Música)

(Music)

(Music ends)

(Applause)

(Aplauso)

Agora ben, podedes estarvos a preguntar,

Now, you may be wondering --

(Applause)

podedes estarvos a preguntar por que estou a aplaudir.

(Applause ends)

You may be wondering why I'm clapping.

Well, I did this at a school in Boston

Ben, fixen isto nunha escola en Boston

with about 70 seventh graders, 12-year-olds.

cuns 70 alumnos de séptimo curso -- de 12 anos.

I did exactly what I did with you,

E fixen exactamente o que fixen agora con vós, e díxenlles

and I explained the whole thing.

e expliqueilles e todo o tema.

E ao final voltáronse tolos, a aplaudir. Estaban a aplaudir.

At the end, they went crazy, clapping.

I was clapping. They were clapping.

Eu estaba a aplaudir. Eles estaban a aplaudir.

Finally, I said, "Why am I clapping?"

Finalmente, dixen, "Por que estou a aplaudir?"

And one of them said, "Because we were listening."

E un dos nenos pequenos dixo, "Porque estábamos a escoitar."

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

Think of it. 1,600 people, busy people,

Pensádeo. 1600 persoas, xente ocupada,

involucrados en todo tipo de cousas diferentes.

involved in all sorts of different things,

listening, understanding and being moved

Escoitando, comprendendo e sendo emocionados por unha peza de Chopin.

by a piece by Chopin.

Now, that is something.

Iso é algo importante.

Am I sure that every single person followed that,

Agora ben, estou seguro de que todos e cada un seguíchedes isto,

understood it, was moved by it?

entendíchedelo, e emocionáchedesvos. Por suposto, non podo estar seguro.

Of course, I can't be sure.

But I'll tell you what happened to me in Ireland

Pero direivos o que me aconteceu.

Estaba en Irlanda durante os conflictos, fai 10 anos,

during the Troubles, 10 years ago,

and I was working with some Catholic and Protestant kids

e estaba a traballar con algúns rapaces Católicos e Protestantes

on conflict resolution.

en resolución de conflictos. E fixen isto con eles.

And I did this with them --

a risky thing to do, because they were street kids.

Algo arriscado, xa que eran nenos da rúa.

E un deles veu falar conmigo á mañá seguinte e dixo,

And one of them came to me the next morning

and he said,

"You know, I've never listened to classical music in my life,

"Sabes, eu nunca na vida escoitara música clásica

but when you played that shopping piece ..."

mas cando tocaches esa peza de 'shopping' (NT: xogo de palabras entre 'mercar' e Chopin)

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

He said, "My brother was shot last year and I didn't cry for him.

Dixo, "o meu irmán matárono dun tiro o ano pasado e non chorei por el.

But last night, when you played that piece,

Pero a pasada noite cando tocaches a peza,

he was the one I was thinking about.

el era en quen estaba a pensar.

And I felt the tears streaming down my face.

E notei as bágoas baixando pola miña cara.

And it felt really good to cry for my brother."

E sabes, realmente sentinme ben a chorar polo meu irmán"

So I made up my mind at that moment

Así que me decatei nese momento

de que a música clásica é para todo o mundo. Todo o mundo.

that classical music is for everybody.

Everybody.

Now, how would you walk --

Agora ben, como camiñaríades -- porque sabedes,

my profession, the music profession doesn't see it that way.

a miña profesión, a profesión da música, non o ve dese xeito.

They say three percent of the population likes classical music.

Eles afirman que ao 3 por cento da poboación lle gusta a música clásica.

Se fósemos quen de movelo ao 4 por cento os nosos problemas estarían solucionados.

If only we could move it to four percent, our problems would be over.

(Laughter)

How would you walk? How would you talk? How would you be?

E eu digo, "Como poderiades camiñar? Como poderiades falar? Como estariades

se pensarades que ao 3 por cento da poboación lle gusta a música clásica?

If you thought, "Three percent of the population likes classical music,

if only we could move it to four percent."

Se puidésemos subilo ao 4 por cento. Como poderiades camiñar?

How would you walk or talk? How would you be?

Como poderiades falar? Como estariades

If you thought, "Everybody loves classical music --

se pensarades que todo o mundo ama a música clásica --

e simplemente ainda non o descubriron."

they just haven't found out about it yet."

(Sorrisos)

See, these are totally different worlds.

Como vedes, son mundos totalmente distintos.

Now, I had an amazing experience.

Eu tiven unha experiencia maravillosa. Tiña 45 anos,

I was 45 years old,

levo dirixindo 20 anos, e de súpeto tiven unha iluminación.

I'd been conducting for 20 years,

and I suddenly had a realization.

The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound.

O director dunha orquesta non fai sons.

My picture appears on the front of the CD --

A miña foto aparece na portada do CD --

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

But the conductor doesn't make a sound.

-- pero o director non fai ningún son.

He depends, for his power,

O seu poder depende da súa habilidade para facer a outra xente poderosa.

on his ability to make other people powerful.

E iso mudou todo para min. Foi algo que me mudou a vida.

And that changed everything for me.

It was totally life-changing.

People in my orchestra said,

A xente da miña orquesta viña a falar comigo e dicíame,

"Ben, what happened?" That's what happened.

"Ben, que aconteceu?" Iso é o que aconteceu.

Decateime de que o meu traballo era facer aparecer a posibilidade noutra xente.

I realized my job was to awaken possibility in other people.

E por suposto, quería saber se o estaba a facer.

And of course, I wanted to know whether I was doing that.

E sabedes como se pode averiguar? Mirándolles aos ollos.

How do you find out?

You look at their eyes.

Se os seus ollos están a brillar, estás a facelo.

If their eyes are shining, you know you're doing it.

You could light up a village with this guy's eyes.

Poderiades iluminar unha vila cos ollos deste home.

(Sorrisos)

(Laughter)

Right. So if the eyes are shining, you know you're doing it.

Dacordo. Se os ollos están a brillar, sabes que o estás a facer.

Se os ollos non están a brillar, teste que preguntar algo.

If the eyes are not shining, you get to ask a question.

E esta é a pregunta:

And this is the question:

Quen estou eu a ser para que os ollos dos meus músicos non estean a brillar?

who am I being

that my players' eyes are not shining?

We can do that with our children, too.

Podemos facer iso cos nosos fillos tamén.

Who am I being,

Quen estou eu a ser para que os ollos dos meus fillos non estean a brillar?

that my children's eyes are not shining?

That's a totally different world.

É un mundo totalmente diferente.

Now, we're all about to end this magical, on-the-mountain week,

Ben, estamos a piques de rematar esta semana máxica na montaña

we're going back into the world.

e imos regresar ao mundo.

And I say, it's appropriate for us to ask the question,

E digo, é axeitado que nos fagamos a pregunta:

who are we being as we go back out into the world?

Quenes estamos a ser en canto imos de volta ao mundo?

And you know, I have a definition of success.

E sabedes, teño unha definición de éxito.

For me, it's very simple.

Para min é moi sinxelo. Non ten relación coa riqueza e a sona e o poder.

It's not about wealth and fame and power.

Ten relación con cantos ollos brillantes teño arredor de min.

It's about how many shining eyes I have around me.

So now, I have one last thought,

Así que agora teño un último pensamento, que é

which is that it really makes a difference what we say --

que realmente o que dicimos marca a diferencia.

As palabras que saen pola nosa boca.

the words that come out of our mouth.

Aprendín isto dunha muller que sobreviviu a Auschwitz,

I learned this from a woman who survived Auschwitz,

one of the rare survivors.

unha das poucas supervivintes.

She went to Auschwitz when she was 15 years old.

Foi a Auschwitz cando tiña 15 anos,

And ...

e o seu irmán tiña 8, e perderan aos pais.

And her brother was eight,

and the parents were lost.

And she told me this, she said,

E contoume o seguinte, dixo,

"We were in the train going to Auschwitz,

"Estabamos no tren indo cara a Auschwitz e mirei cara a abaixo

and I looked down and saw my brother's shoes were missing.

e vin que os zapatos do meu irmán non estaban.

I said, 'Why are you so stupid, can't you keep your things together

E dixen, "Como podes ser tan parvo, que non podes manterte perto das túas cousas

for goodness' sake?'"

polo amor de Deus?" - na forma na que unha irmá maior

The way an elder sister might speak to a younger brother.

pode falar a un irmán pequeno.

Desafortunadamente, foi a última cousa que lle dixo

Unfortunately, it was the last thing she ever said to him,

porque nunca voltou a velo. El non sobreviviu.

because she never saw him again.

He did not survive.

And so when she came out of Auschwitz, she made a vow.

Así que cando saiu de Auschwitz, fixo unha promesa.

She told me this.

Ela díxome. Dixo, "Saín camiñando de Auschwitz á vida

She said, "I walked out of Auschwitz into life

e fixen unha promesa. E a promesa foi que nunca diría nada de novo

and I made a vow.

And the vow was,

"I will never say anything that couldn't stand as the last thing I ever say."

que non puidera ficar como a última cousa que eu diga."

Podemos facelo? Non. E enganámonos a nós mesmos

Now, can we do that? No.

And we'll make ourselves wrong and others wrong.

e aos outros. Mais esa é unha posibilidade na que podemos vivir. Grazas

But it is a possibility to live into.

Thank you.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

Shining eyes.

Ollos brillantes, ollos brillantes.

(Applause)

Shining eyes.

(Applause)

Thank you, thank you.

Grazas, grazas.

(Música)