Rattle will always have something to prove in Berlin, to the orchestra, to his audiences, to his critics. But if anyone has the energy, drive, and force of will to deal with all this, it's him. What he is attempting is to have it both ways: to open Berlin up as an orchestra in terms of its repertoire and its relationship with the city, and develop the ensemble as the definitive orchestra in the core German tradition. It's not something you can do in five years, or even 10: it's a project that could last Rattle the rest of his musical life.
And he's prepared for the backlash that comes with the position. "Look, I would dearly love it if everyone enjoyed everything I did, but even I'm not that naive and optimistic. Anyone who conducts this orchestra is going to be the antichrist to somebody. Maybe I'm just more successful at being the antichrist than some others."
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