- Lydia Tár: Don't be so eager to be offended. The narcissism of small differences leads to *the* most boring conformity.
- Lydia Tár: The problem with enrolling yourself as an ultrasonic epistemic dissident is that if Bach's talent can be reduced to his gender, birth country, religion, sexuality, and so on, then so can yours.
- Lydia Tár: You want to dance the masque, you must service the composer. You gotta sublimate yourself, your ego, and, yes, your identity. You must, in fact, stand in front of the public and God and obliterate yourself.
- Lydia Tár: If Bach's talent can be reduced to his gender, birth country, religion, sexuality, and so on, then so can yours. Now, some day, Max, when you go out into the world, and you guest conduct for a major or minor orchestra, you may notice that the players have more than light bulbs and music on their stands. They will also have been handed rating sheets - the purpose of which is to rate you. Now, what kind of criteria would you hope that they use to do this? Your score reading and stick technique, or something else?
- [Annoyed by her neighbors' complaint]
- Lydia Tár: [singing loudly with the accordion] Apartment for sale / Apartment for sale / Your mother's buried deep / And now you're gonna keep / Her apartment for sale / Your sister's in jail / You put your sister in jail / You're all going to hell / Your apartment's for sale!
- Lydia Tár: [after explaining how Bernstein played Mahler's Adagietto in a 12-minute version emphasizing tragedy] We are dealing with time. And this piece was not born into aching tragedy. It was born into young love.
- Adam Gopnik: And so you chose...
- Lydia Tár: Love.
- Adam Gopnik: Right, but precisely how long?
- Lydia Tár: Well, seven minutes!
- Olga Metkina: You have a child?
- Lydia Tár: Yes.
- Olga Metkina: I will never do that!
- Lydia Tár: Pets are best for some people.
- [first lines]
- [texting]
- SMS 1: what time did she get up this am
- SMS 2: i wasnt with her s was
- SMS 1: our girls an early riser isnt she
- SMS 2: haunted
- SMS 1: ha you mean she has a conscience
- SMS 2: maybe
- SMS 1: that means you still love her
- SMS 1: see what I see
- SMS 2: placido domingos room
- SMS 1: she thinks she is being ironic
- Lydia Tár: If you tell another adult about this conversation, they will not believe you. Because I am an adult.
- [last lines]
- Voice-over: Sisters and brothers of the fifth fleet. It's time. I'll keep my farewell brief. Never was much for words. Once you board this ship, there's no turning back. The next ground your feet touch will be that of the new world. If any of you have lost your nerve, then step away now and let no one judge you.
- Lydia Tár: [about The Rite of Spring] It's the eleven pistol shots - it's a prime number - that strike you as both victim and perpetrator. You know, it's not until I conducted it that I became convinced we're all capable of murder.
- Lydia Tár: How cruel of you to define our relationship as transactional.
- Sharon Goodnow: There's only one relationship you've ever had that wasn't. And she's sleeping in the room next door. Apparently, this hasn't even crossed your mind.
- Sharon Goodnow: I feel sorry for you.
- Lydia Tár: Oh, save it.
- Sharon Goodnow: I tried calling you last night. Did you have fun with her?
- Lydia Tár: My back... is killing me. Francesca left and I simply needed someone to carry my bags. I mean, who was I supposed to ask, to go with me? Hm?
- Sharon Goodnow: There are many things I accept about you. And in the end, I'm sure I can get over something like this. But that's not what we're talking about, is it? These accusations, from the parents of the girl who suicided.
- Lydia Tár: [pauses] You honestly believe what they're saying? They're lies.
- Sharon Goodnow: Do you understand what it was like to walk into my section yesterday? To see everyone whispering about me? It's got nothing to do with what they're accusing you of. It's a simple matter of not warning me that our family is in danger.
- Lydia Tár: And what good would that have done? I mean what could you possibly do to make things better?
- Sharon Goodnow: [angrily] Because I deserve that. Those are the rules. You have to ask for my fucking council the way you always have. The way you did when you first arrived here as a guest conductor looking for a permanent position. You asked me - what were the politics? What were the moves? How could we swing it? Because... this conversation took place in another bed. Or rather, the couch, in that horrible place you still can't let go of.
- Sharon Goodnow: But maybe we just need to put more effort into finding her a friend. Last year was really hard to be locked up alone with two old ladies like us.
- Whitney Reese: Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed when you're up there on the podium?
- Lydia Tár: Yes, it does happen. There's an expectation-reward cycle with some works, and sparks in them that I find so incredible that when I'm conducting... it's not that I'm rushing, exactly, but I just can't wait to get to that spot. And yeah, it does it, it does it every time.
- Andris Davis: How's the writing going?
- Lydia Tár: Ah, I never know how to answer that question. Makes it sound like a physical act. Like, "how's the shitting going?"
- Andris Davis: [laughs] Okay. How's the thinking going?
- Eliot Kaplan: I'm sorry to say this is likely the last time we'll see each other.
- Lydia Tár: Well, now I can buy my own plane tickets. And you can bother someone to try and teach you to crawl to the podium.
- Masseuse: Just choose one from the Fishbowl.