Quotes by Composer | Beyond Motive 14/27

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Quotes by Composer

"Superstar was made so early in my career I had nothing to do with it at all. The first time I saw it was the opening screening."

"Superstar was made so early in my career I had nothing to do with it at all. The first time I saw it was the opening screening."

Andrew Lloyd Webber, British Composer

Time, Career, First, Nothing

27

"I wanted to make a classical piece that was actually designed to be a CD, not designed for performance."

"I wanted to make a classical piece that was actually designed to be a CD, not designed for performance."

Anne Dudley, English Composer

27

"We are either going to dissolve as a human race or we are going to break through into a new understanding of what it is to be a human being."

"We are either going to dissolve as a human race or we are going to break through into a new understanding of what it is to be a human being."

Terry Riley, American Composer

Being, Race, Understanding

26

"When I've seen my operas in Europe, they have always struck me as more American than when I hear them here. I can't tell you what that phenomenon is."

"When I've seen my operas in Europe, they have always struck me as more American than when I hear them here. I can't tell you what that phenomenon is."

Carlisle Floyd, American Composer

American, Europe

26

"At the end of the competition, I played the Liszt concerto and I felt my head was on the block. Well, I won."

"At the end of the competition, I played the Liszt concerto and I felt my head was on the block. Well, I won."

Andre Boucourechliev, French Composer

Competition, End

26

"Every music - except dance music, which is for dancing, I suppose - is for the spirit of the human being, and not for the body."

"Every music - except dance music, which is for dancing, I suppose - is for the spirit of the human being, and not for the body."

Klaus Schulze, German Composer

Music, Dance, Being, Body

26

"The ancient Greeks have a knack of wrapping truths in myths."

"The ancient Greeks have a knack of wrapping truths in myths."

George Lloyd, English Composer

26

"Over the years I have tried to develop something which is technically assured."

"Over the years I have tried to develop something which is technically assured."

Gavin Bryars, English Composer

26

"For years that may mean imitation. Then, one day, it is like a door opening, and a new thought comes in. Why not try this instead. Suddenly he is doing something original, almost in spite of himself."

"For years that may mean imitation. Then, one day, it is like a door opening, and a new thought comes in. Why not try this instead. Suddenly he is doing something original, almost in spite of himself."

Lukas Foss, German Composer

Thought, Day, Imitation, May

26

"I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface."

"I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

26

"In retrospect I realize that the threat was about ego rather than the validity of the music."

"In retrospect I realize that the threat was about ego rather than the validity of the music."

David Baker, American Composer

Music, Ego, Validity

26

"I think it's good for the composer to teach because you always have new students and you have to begin at the beginning and make things clear."

"I think it's good for the composer to teach because you always have new students and you have to begin at the beginning and make things clear."

John Corigliano, American Composer

Beginning, Students

26

"Perhaps of all the most basic elements of music, rhythm most directly affects our central nervous system."

"Perhaps of all the most basic elements of music, rhythm most directly affects our central nervous system."

George Crumb, American Composer

26

"I did my work slowly, drop by drop. I tore it out of me by pieces."

"I did my work slowly, drop by drop. I tore it out of me by pieces."

Maurice Ravel, French Composer

26

"I would have gone right ahead but the only thing, the only phenomenon that's going on now of course, which is different in my experiences, is that you are getting things planted in the Net by people about the Woman in White on the Net. That's not a nice change."

"I would have gone right ahead but the only thing, the only phenomenon that's going on now of course, which is different in my experiences, is that you are getting things planted in the Net by people about the Woman in White on the Net. That's not a nice change."

Andrew Lloyd Webber, British Composer

Change, People, Now, Right

26

"I find respect for a mediocre British composer, as opposed to a really good American, ridiculous because they automatically respect a composer if he's from England."

"I find respect for a mediocre British composer, as opposed to a really good American, ridiculous because they automatically respect a composer if he's from England."

John Corigliano, American Composer

American, England, Respect

26

"I think anything that is expressed directly and as honestly as possible will last."

"I think anything that is expressed directly and as honestly as possible will last."

Carlisle Floyd, American Composer

26

"It's really the sound of the voices, the sound of the words, the sound of the sound that we're interested in."

"It's really the sound of the voices, the sound of the words, the sound of the sound that we're interested in."

Anne Dudley, English Composer

26

"Great musicians accept everything that they hear and find something good. They take what they like and they throw away what they don't like."

"Great musicians accept everything that they hear and find something good. They take what they like and they throw away what they don't like."

John Zorn, American Composer

26

"I think a composer is always interested in his last work."

"I think a composer is always interested in his last work."

Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian Composer

26

"There was a theft! But, of course, if it was up to me, every two years I would win an Oscar."

"There was a theft! But, of course, if it was up to me, every two years I would win an Oscar."

Ennio Morricone, Italian Composer

26

"All the world loves a clown."

"All the world loves a clown."

Cole Porter, American Composer

26

"I am an inventor of music."

"I am an inventor of music."

Igor Stravinsky, Russian Composer

26

"Any film which views the darker side of life, which is death with a sense of humor, is very much to my taste."

"Any film which views the darker side of life, which is death with a sense of humor, is very much to my taste."

Carter Burwell, American Composer

Death, Humor, Life, Film

26

"If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself."

"If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself."

Eubie Blake, American Composer

26

"Because her voice is, it's like the muscles and it develops all the time. That was the fantastic thing for us."

"Because her voice is, it's like the muscles and it develops all the time. That was the fantastic thing for us."

Andrew Lloyd Webber, British Composer

26

"My interest in his new toy, the Theremin, isn't very big. It simply does not fit into my way of playing music. I do not want to fiddle around with my hands in the air."

"My interest in his new toy, the Theremin, isn't very big. It simply does not fit into my way of playing music. I do not want to fiddle around with my hands in the air."

Klaus Schulze, German Composer

Music, Interest, Want

26

"You know, nobody eats in England. Three or four pints of English beer a night fills you. I can't say I'm very impressed with the food in America. it's all sort of bland. Like turkey sandwiches."

"You know, nobody eats in England. Three or four pints of English beer a night fills you. I can't say I'm very impressed with the food in America. it's all sort of bland. Like turkey sandwiches."

Anne Dudley, English Composer

Food, America, Beer, EnglEnglish

26

"Chris Cutler was kind enough to offer his company as an umbrella, so now I can have all my back catalogue under one roof as it were, and it has the same feeling as with Daniel; this is a matter between friends rather than businessmen."

"Chris Cutler was kind enough to offer his company as an umbrella, so now I can have all my back catalogue under one roof as it were, and it has the same feeling as with Daniel; this is a matter between friends rather than businessmen."

Fred Frith, English Composer

Company, Feeling, Friends, Now

26

"I don't have any bad habbits. They might be bad habits for other people, but they're all right for me."

"I don't have any bad habbits. They might be bad habits for other people, but they're all right for me."

Eubie Blake, American Composer

People, Habits, Right

26

"Soon I worked during twelve years in theater works of the prestigious Theatre National Populaire. It was the best time of my life, the most difficult, the most interesting, the most exciting."

"Soon I worked during twelve years in theater works of the prestigious Theatre National Populaire. It was the best time of my life, the most difficult, the most interesting, the most exciting."

Maurice Jarre, French Composer

Time, Life, Theater, Theatre

26

"If Bush said just once: 'Boy. I hope you accept my apology as a country,' or showed some humanity."

"If Bush said just once: 'Boy. I hope you accept my apology as a country,' or showed some humanity."

Burt Bacharach, American Composer

Hope, Apology, Country, Humanity

26

"From heav'nly thoughts all true delight doth spring."

"From heav'nly thoughts all true delight doth spring."

Thomas Campion, English Composer

Thought, Thoughts, Delight, Spring

26

"My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don't meet. And then your friends say: It's terrific!"

"My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don't meet. And then your friends say: It's terrific!"

Harrison Birtwistle, British Composer

Attitude, Friends, Writing

26

"Some people wish above all to conform to the rules, I wish only to render what I can hear. There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law."

"Some people wish above all to conform to the rules, I wish only to render what I can hear. There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law."

Claude Debussy, French Composer

People, Law, Pleasure, Rules

26

"Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken."

"Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken."

Ludwig van Beethoven, German Composer

Music, Mankind, Wine

26

"Math and music are intimately related. Not necessarily on a conscious level, but sure."

"Math and music are intimately related. Not necessarily on a conscious level, but sure."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

26

"If not bliss, ignorance can at least be fun."

"If not bliss, ignorance can at least be fun."

Carter Burwell, American Composer

26

"A Train was born without any effort - if was like writing a letter to a friend."

"A Train was born without any effort - if was like writing a letter to a friend."

Billy Strayhorn, American Composer

Friendship, Friend, Effort, Writing

26

"Melody is a form of remembrance. It must have a quality of inevitability in our ears."

"Melody is a form of remembrance. It must have a quality of inevitability in our ears."

Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian Composer

Quality, Remembrance

26

"The creative act is like writing a letter. A letter is a project; you don't sit down to write a letter unless you know what you want to say and to whom you want to say it."

"The creative act is like writing a letter. A letter is a project; you don't sit down to write a letter unless you know what you want to say and to whom you want to say it."

Lukas Foss, German Composer

Act, Project, Want, Writing

26

"You become a great composer when you win a Pulitzer. But I think that now it's a completely meaningless award."

"You become a great composer when you win a Pulitzer. But I think that now it's a completely meaningless award."

John Corigliano, American Composer

26

"Well we'd just seen Gerry. I think he wanted somebody who had that authority and was handsome. The thing is, he's a big hunk isn't he? All I can say, if you look at his chat line, or the Phantom website, it's quite worrying. Because the girls really seem to love him."

"Well we'd just seen Gerry. I think he wanted somebody who had that authority and was handsome. The thing is, he's a big hunk isn't he? All I can say, if you look at his chat line, or the Phantom website, it's quite worrying. Because the girls really seem to love him."

Andrew Lloyd Webber, British Composer

Love, Authority, Girls

26

"Los Angeles is an industry town, and it has great facilities and personnel. The disadvantage is that everyone there seems to talk about the same subject matter."

"Los Angeles is an industry town, and it has great facilities and personnel. The disadvantage is that everyone there seems to talk about the same subject matter."

Carter Burwell, American Composer

26

"When I was speaking about communicating, I meant that the listener - we have to reach the listener; otherwise, of course, you're writing the piece, as I say, only for the satisfaction of seeing it on the paper for yourself, and then it ends right there."

"When I was speaking about communicating, I meant that the listener - we have to reach the listener; otherwise, of course, you're writing the piece, as I say, only for the satisfaction of seeing it on the paper for yourself, and then it ends right there."

Leo Ornstein, American Composer

Right, Satisfaction, Writing

26

"Because essentially Schoenberg was an extremely gifted man. And in spite of many of his theories and so on, when he really began to write music, he still was guided very much by his internal hearing, by what we call your internal ear."

"Because essentially Schoenberg was an extremely gifted man. And in spite of many of his theories and so on, when he really began to write music, he still was guided very much by his internal hearing, by what we call your internal ear."

Leo Ornstein, American Composer

Music, Hearing, Man, Theories

26

"Jazz is not the popular culture. Jazz is in the same position in our culture as classical music. A very small minority of people really love it."

"Jazz is not the popular culture. Jazz is in the same position in our culture as classical music. A very small minority of people really love it."

John Corigliano, American Composer

Love, Music, People, Culture

26

"There are eight girls in the house in which I am living, and practically all of them are good looking. You can realize that I am kept busy."

"There are eight girls in the house in which I am living, and practically all of them are good looking. You can realize that I am kept busy."

Franz Schubert, Austrian Composer

26

"The artist is something of an outsider in America. I have always felt that America does not value its artists, certainly not in the sense that the Europeans do."

"The artist is something of an outsider in America. I have always felt that America does not value its artists, certainly not in the sense that the Europeans do."

Carlisle Floyd, American Composer

America, Artist, Artists, Sense

26

"Give people knowledge and they really eat it up and they appreciate it a lot and the more that knowledge is made available to people, the more they will utilize it and let it be a part of them."

"Give people knowledge and they really eat it up and they appreciate it a lot and the more that knowledge is made available to people, the more they will utilize it and let it be a part of them."

La Monte Young, American Composer

People, Knowledge, Will

26

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