Quotes by Composer | Beyond Motive 2/27

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Quotes by Composer

"For Debussy the musician and the man I have had profound admiration, but by nature I'm different from him. I think I have always personally followed a direction opposed to that of the symbolism of Debussy."

"For Debussy the musician and the man I have had profound admiration, but by nature I'm different from him. I think I have always personally followed a direction opposed to that of the symbolism of Debussy."

Maurice Ravel, French Composer

Nature, Admiration, Direction, Man

37

"Music, which should pulsate with life, needs new means of expression, and science alone can infuse it with youthful vigor."

"Music, which should pulsate with life, needs new means of expression, and science alone can infuse it with youthful vigor."

Edgard Varese, American Composer

Science, Life, Music, Expression

36

"In opera, there is always too much singing."

"In opera, there is always too much singing."

Claude Debussy, French Composer

36

"Inspiration could be called inhaling the memory of an act never experienced."

"Inspiration could be called inhaling the memory of an act never experienced."

Ned Rorem, American Composer

Inspirational, Inspiration, Act, Memory

36

"I really don't want to write a score until the whole show is cast and staged."

"I really don't want to write a score until the whole show is cast and staged."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

36

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."

John Powell, American Composer

Mistake, Nothing

36

"The century of airplanes has a right to its own music."

"The century of airplanes has a right to its own music."

Claude Debussy, French Composer

Music, Airplanes, Right

35

"Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day."

"Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day."

Franz Liszt, Hungarian Composer

35

"Friends applaud, the comedy is over."

"Friends applaud, the comedy is over."

Ludwig van Beethoven, German Composer

Comedy, Friends

35

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."

Oscar Levant, American Composer

Genius, Insanity

34

"Composers dialogue - and obsessively, bitterly argue - with other composers, often over the span of several centuries."

"Composers dialogue - and obsessively, bitterly argue - with other composers, often over the span of several centuries."

Brian Ferneyhough, British Composer

Composer, Composers

34

"Easy mind, light heart. A mind that is too easy hides a heart that is too heavy."

"Easy mind, light heart. A mind that is too easy hides a heart that is too heavy."

Franz Schubert, Austrian Composer

Heart, Light, Mind

33

"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left."

"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left."

Oscar Levant, American Composer

Humility, Needs, World

32

"If an American audience is given a serious musical theater piece that is well produced, dramatically gripping and wonderfully acted, they'll respond to it."

"If an American audience is given a serious musical theater piece that is well produced, dramatically gripping and wonderfully acted, they'll respond to it."

Carlisle Floyd, American Composer

American, Theater

32

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy."

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy."

Giuseppe Verdi, Italian Composer

Italy, May, Universe

32

"What impressed me particularly in Vienna was the strict order everywhere. No mob disturbances of any kind, in spite of the greatly increased liberty and relaxation of police regulations."

"What impressed me particularly in Vienna was the strict order everywhere. No mob disturbances of any kind, in spite of the greatly increased liberty and relaxation of police regulations."

Fritz Kreisler, Austrian Composer

Liberty, Mob, Order, Police

32

"In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance."

"In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance."

Franz Liszt, Hungarian Composer

Music, Dance, Song

31

"Mozart wrote so many works in his thirty-five years that it would take a lifetime just to write out the notes. We literally do not know how he did it."

"Mozart wrote so many works in his thirty-five years that it would take a lifetime just to write out the notes. We literally do not know how he did it."

Lukas Foss, German Composer

31

"Love cannot express the idea of music, while music may give an idea of love."

"Love cannot express the idea of music, while music may give an idea of love."

Hector Berlioz, French Composer

Love, Music, Idea, May

31

"The public is always good."

"The public is always good."

Franz Liszt, Hungarian Composer

30

"I probably went to musique concrete concerts - though not the very first ones - at the beginning of the 50s."

"I probably went to musique concrete concerts - though not the very first ones - at the beginning of the 50s."

Luc Ferrari, French Composer

Beginning, First

30

"Well I live in Vienna with my wife and son, and I teach in Hamburg, there will be no changes in that respect."

"Well I live in Vienna with my wife and son, and I teach in Hamburg, there will be no changes in that respect."

Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian Composer

Wife, Son, Respect, Will

30

"I guess we've had a very close relationship because I don't pretend to know about cinema and I think I do know a bit about theatre but he does, he respected that and so we really just had a collaboration which went completely like this."

"I guess we've had a very close relationship because I don't pretend to know about cinema and I think I do know a bit about theatre but he does, he respected that and so we really just had a collaboration which went completely like this."

Andrew Lloyd Webber, British Composer

Cinema, Collaboration, Theatre

30

"I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided."

"I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided."

Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian Composer

Music, Will, Words

30

"Conductors don't suffer, they are part of the performance."

"Conductors don't suffer, they are part of the performance."

Michael Tippett, English Composer

30

"I continued to study Math and Physics on my own, but one and a half years later I realized that I did want to be a composer, and after that I never changed my mind."

"I continued to study Math and Physics on my own, but one and a half years later I realized that I did want to be a composer, and after that I never changed my mind."

Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian Composer

Mind, Physics, Study, Want

30

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy."

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy."

Ludwig van Beethoven, German Composer

Music, Wisdom, Philosophy

29

"I always voted at my party's call, and I never thought of thinking for myself at all."

"I always voted at my party's call, and I never thought of thinking for myself at all."

William Gilbert, British Composer

Thought, Party, Thinking

29

"I was not influenced by composers as much as by natural objects and physical phenomena."

"I was not influenced by composers as much as by natural objects and physical phenomena."

Edgard Varese, American Composer

Composer, Composers

29

"Oscar Hammerstein was a surrogate father during all those many days, and weeks and months when I didn't see my own father."

"Oscar Hammerstein was a surrogate father during all those many days, and weeks and months when I didn't see my own father."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

28

"We appropriately compared the lifestyle to that of drug addiction and alcoholism - lifestyles that one would be encouraged to seek help to leave - never encouraged to stay in."

"We appropriately compared the lifestyle to that of drug addiction and alcoholism - lifestyles that one would be encouraged to seek help to leave - never encouraged to stay in."

Stephen Bennett, American Composer

Addiction, Help

28

"Jazz is there and gone. It happens. You have to be present for it. That simple."

"Jazz is there and gone. It happens. You have to be present for it. That simple."

Keith Jarrett, American Composer

28

"Never weather-beaten sail more willing bent to shore."

"Never weather-beaten sail more willing bent to shore."

Thomas Campion, English Composer

28

"Music is the arithmetic of sounds as optics is the geometry of light."

"Music is the arithmetic of sounds as optics is the geometry of light."

Claude Debussy, French Composer

Music, Arithmetic, Geometry, Light

28

"The whole problem of the sound-work is distancing oneself from the dramatic."

"The whole problem of the sound-work is distancing oneself from the dramatic."

Pierre Schaeffer, French Composer

28

"No, it's a Bb. It looks wrong and it sounds wrong, but it's right."

"No, it's a Bb. It looks wrong and it sounds wrong, but it's right."

Ralph Vaughan Williams, English Composer

28

"True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time. My people are Americans and my time is today."

"True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time. My people are Americans and my time is today."

George Gershwin, American Composer

Music, Time, Thought, People

27

"I've given up reading books. I find it takes my mind off myself."

"I've given up reading books. I find it takes my mind off myself."

Oscar Levant, American Composer

Books, Mind, Reading

27

"And harmony means that the relationship between all the elements used in a composition is balanced, is good."

"And harmony means that the relationship between all the elements used in a composition is balanced, is good."

Karlheinz Stockhausen, German Composer

27

"A politician is a man who will double cross that bridge when he comes to it."

"A politician is a man who will double cross that bridge when he comes to it."

Oscar Levant, American Composer

27

"I know Mother named me after a railroad man, but it's too late now, I'm afraid. Much, much too late."

"I know Mother named me after a railroad man, but it's too late now, I'm afraid. Much, much too late."

Hoagy Carmichael, American Composer

Mother, Man, Now

27

"We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art."

"We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art."

Maurice Ravel, French Composer

Art, Work, Content, Emotion

27

"I frequently compose out the entire metric structure of a piece in modified cyclic form, where each cyclic revolution undergoes some form of 'variation' much as if measure lengths were concrete musical 'material.'"

"I frequently compose out the entire metric structure of a piece in modified cyclic form, where each cyclic revolution undergoes some form of 'variation' much as if measure lengths were concrete musical 'material.'"

Brian Ferneyhough, British Composer

Revolution, Measure

27

"Then, in 1983 I went on a very long concert tour all over Europe."

"Then, in 1983 I went on a very long concert tour all over Europe."

Klaus Schulze, German Composer

27

"Whenever I felt happy about having discovered something, the first encounter, not only with the public, with other musicians, with specialists, etc, was that they rejected it."

"Whenever I felt happy about having discovered something, the first encounter, not only with the public, with other musicians, with specialists, etc, was that they rejected it."

Karlheinz Stockhausen, German Composer

First, Musicians, Public

26

"Joy is not in things; it is in us."

"Joy is not in things; it is in us."

Richard Wagner, German Composer

26

"Above all things, I must not get angry. If I do get angry I knock all the teeth out of the mouth of the poor wretch who has angered me."

"Above all things, I must not get angry. If I do get angry I knock all the teeth out of the mouth of the poor wretch who has angered me."

Franz Schubert, Austrian Composer

26

"Death is always around the corner, but often our society gives it inordinate help."

"Death is always around the corner, but often our society gives it inordinate help."

Carter Burwell, American Composer

Death, Society, Help

26

"I have nothing to say, I am saying it, and that is poetry."

"I have nothing to say, I am saying it, and that is poetry."

John Cage, American Composer

Poetry, Nothing, Saying

26

"What that book does for me is give me the tools in the same way that I had the tools when I learned the regular scales or the alphabet. If you give me the tools, the syntax, and the grammar, it still doesn't tell me how to write Ulysses."

"What that book does for me is give me the tools in the same way that I had the tools when I learned the regular scales or the alphabet. If you give me the tools, the syntax, and the grammar, it still doesn't tell me how to write Ulysses."

David Baker, American Composer

26

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