To this listener, perched close enough to the stage to hear what Levine was saying, it was an enthralling experience. He had the piece down cold and heard everything the players were doing.

... he drew from a deep well of practical experience. He never said anything negative to anyone; essentially he said the same thing over and over again: "If you do this, that will happen." The "this" was usually something technical—bringing out the middle note of a chord, for example, or attacking a note strongly, then immediately pulling back. The "that" was the musical effect that results.