Quotes by Composer | Beyond Motive 9/27

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Quotes by Composer

"Well, in Japan, I have got a group of musicians that I have worked with a lot, that concentrate just on the hardcore stuff, say, that Naked City has been working on. We have like a repertoire of sixty songs now."

"Well, in Japan, I have got a group of musicians that I have worked with a lot, that concentrate just on the hardcore stuff, say, that Naked City has been working on. We have like a repertoire of sixty songs now."

John Zorn, American Composer

Musicians, Now, Songs

31

"Those who enjoy their own emotionally bad health and who habitually fill their own minds with the rank poisons of suspicion, jealousy and hatred, as a rule take umbrage at those who refuse to do likewise, and they find a perverted relief in trying to denigrate them."

"Those who enjoy their own emotionally bad health and who habitually fill their own minds with the rank poisons of suspicion, jealousy and hatred, as a rule take umbrage at those who refuse to do likewise, and they find a perverted relief in trying to denigrate them."

Johannes Brahms, German Composer

Health, Hatred, Jealousy, Rank

31

"To understand Mozart's contradictory qualities would indeed be to understand genius."

"To understand Mozart's contradictory qualities would indeed be to understand genius."

Lukas Foss, German Composer

31

"As an improviser I'm now pretty comfortable with trios, so I'm thinking of working up to quartets."

"As an improviser I'm now pretty comfortable with trios, so I'm thinking of working up to quartets."

Fred Frith, English Composer

Now, Pretty, Thinking

31

"I begin by considering an effect."

"I begin by considering an effect."

Maurice Ravel, French Composer

31

"Hopefully, I have a certain amount of what you call musical talent."

"Hopefully, I have a certain amount of what you call musical talent."

Leo Ornstein, American Composer

31

"I found a greater identity with my own emotions in the Armenian culture as I grew older, as well as from the beginning, although I didn't know anything about it."

"I found a greater identity with my own emotions in the Armenian culture as I grew older, as well as from the beginning, although I didn't know anything about it."

Alan Hovhaness, American Composer

Beginning, Culture, Emotions, Identity

31

"One of the hardest things about writing lyrics is to make the lyrics sit on the music in such a way that you're not aware there was a writer there."

"One of the hardest things about writing lyrics is to make the lyrics sit on the music in such a way that you're not aware there was a writer there."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

Music, Writer, Writing

31

"We are all part of a tradition, at least we depend on the past."

"We are all part of a tradition, at least we depend on the past."

Klaus Schulze, German Composer

Past, Tradition

31

"We all shared an admiration of Debussy both as a musician and as sort of an icon for the 20th century. It seemed like an interesting idea to go right back 100 years to find the source of some new ideas now."

"We all shared an admiration of Debussy both as a musician and as sort of an icon for the 20th century. It seemed like an interesting idea to go right back 100 years to find the source of some new ideas now."

Anne Dudley, English Composer

Idea, Ideas, Admiration, Now

31

"Stravinsky used Mother Goose. He was influenced by Mother Goose, indirectly, but very beautifully."

"Stravinsky used Mother Goose. He was influenced by Mother Goose, indirectly, but very beautifully."

Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian Composer

31

"There are two contrary impulses which govern this man's brain-the one sane, and the other eccentric. They alternate at regular intervals."

"There are two contrary impulses which govern this man's brain-the one sane, and the other eccentric. They alternate at regular intervals."

Franz Schubert, Austrian Composer

31

"A concert is a concert is a concert is a concert. An album is an album is an album is an album. Musically, both have nothing in common."

"A concert is a concert is a concert is a concert. An album is an album is an album is an album. Musically, both have nothing in common."

Klaus Schulze, German Composer

31

"The opera tells the story with all the built-in contradictions and from many different angles."

"The opera tells the story with all the built-in contradictions and from many different angles."

Harrison Birtwistle, British Composer

31

"What makes a specific quality or quantity of innovation retain its intense newness over the years?"

"What makes a specific quality or quantity of innovation retain its intense newness over the years?"

Brian Ferneyhough, British Composer

Quality, Innovation, Quantity, Years

31

"I played the organ when I went to military school, when I was 10. They had a huge organ, the second-largest pipe organ in New York State. I loved all the buttons and the gadgets. I've always been a gadget man."

"I played the organ when I went to military school, when I was 10. They had a huge organ, the second-largest pipe organ in New York State. I loved all the buttons and the gadgets. I've always been a gadget man."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

Man, Military, School, State

31

"For Ryan's Daughter I used a total of eight harps, something that was, at least, weird."

"For Ryan's Daughter I used a total of eight harps, something that was, at least, weird."

Maurice Jarre, French Composer

31

"There's another way of making music, by touching the lives and feelings of ordinary people."

"There's another way of making music, by touching the lives and feelings of ordinary people."

Gavin Bryars, English Composer

Music, People, Feelings

31

"I've known those pieces ever since I was about 16 or 17; I also at that time was taken to meet Charles Ives whom I got to know fairly well. He was the one who wrote a recommendation for me to get into college."

"I've known those pieces ever since I was about 16 or 17; I also at that time was taken to meet Charles Ives whom I got to know fairly well. He was the one who wrote a recommendation for me to get into college."

Elliott Carter, American Composer

31

"I want to do nothing chic, I want to have ideas before beginning a piece."

"I want to do nothing chic, I want to have ideas before beginning a piece."

Georges Bizet, French Composer

Ideas, Beginning, Nothing, Want

31

"Please accept a promise from me in his name that I will always live in the religion in which he died."

"Please accept a promise from me in his name that I will always live in the religion in which he died."

Giacomo Meyerbeer, German Composer

Religion, Name, Promise, Will

31

"The flow of Guiness into the studio was inspirational as well as nutritive."

"The flow of Guiness into the studio was inspirational as well as nutritive."

Carter Burwell, American Composer

31

"I am certainly not arguing for the de facto autonomy of the individual work, even though there is much to be said for making the attempt to see it in that light as one facet of the reception process."

"I am certainly not arguing for the de facto autonomy of the individual work, even though there is much to be said for making the attempt to see it in that light as one facet of the reception process."

Brian Ferneyhough, British Composer

31

"Carefully execute every instruction given to you by the director, producer, and studio. But that would be a life not worth living."

"Carefully execute every instruction given to you by the director, producer, and studio. But that would be a life not worth living."

Carter Burwell, American Composer

Life, Living, Worth

30

"My music is best understood by children and animals."

"My music is best understood by children and animals."

Igor Stravinsky, Russian Composer

Music, Animals, Children

30

"I fell into lyric writing because of music. I backed into it."

"I fell into lyric writing because of music. I backed into it."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

30

"There is nothing is more musical than a sunset. He who feels what he sees will find no more beautiful example of development in all that book which, alas, musicians read but too little - the book of Nature."

"There is nothing is more musical than a sunset. He who feels what he sees will find no more beautiful example of development in all that book which, alas, musicians read but too little - the book of Nature."

Claude Debussy, French Composer

Nature, Development, Example, Musicians

30

"A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first thought of."

"A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first thought of."

Burt Bacharach, American Composer

Thought, First, Word

30

"In symphonic music, when you are conducting, you do the same thing. You are feeling the whole orchestra, thinking ahead so you can prepare for a change."

"In symphonic music, when you are conducting, you do the same thing. You are feeling the whole orchestra, thinking ahead so you can prepare for a change."

David Amram, American Composer

Change, Music, Feeling, Thinking

30

"Supreme serenity still remains the Ideal of great Art. The shapes and transitory forms of life are but stages toward this Ideal, which Christ's religion illuminates with His divine light."

"Supreme serenity still remains the Ideal of great Art. The shapes and transitory forms of life are but stages toward this Ideal, which Christ's religion illuminates with His divine light."

Franz Liszt, Hungarian Composer

Life, Religion, Art, Christ

30

"Man is nature's sole mistake."

"Man is nature's sole mistake."

William Gilbert, British Composer

Nature, Mistake, Man

30

"Composers in the old days used to keep strictly to the base of the theme, as their real subject. Beethoven varies the melody, harmony and rhythms so beautifully."

"Composers in the old days used to keep strictly to the base of the theme, as their real subject. Beethoven varies the melody, harmony and rhythms so beautifully."

Johannes Brahms, German Composer

Composer, Composers, Harmony, Old

30

"If you listen to nature, all the sounds are done in a confident way. I'm trying to do that."

"If you listen to nature, all the sounds are done in a confident way. I'm trying to do that."

Roscoe Mitchell, American Composer

30

"I think everything should happen at halfway to dawn. That's when all the heads of government should meet. I think everybody would fall in love."

"I think everything should happen at halfway to dawn. That's when all the heads of government should meet. I think everybody would fall in love."

Billy Strayhorn, American Composer

Government, Love, Dawn

30

"Since music has never had a Rembrandt, we have remained nothing more than musicians."

"Since music has never had a Rembrandt, we have remained nothing more than musicians."

Morton Feldman, American Composer

Music, Musicians, Nothing

30

"I like to stay home and listen to recordings."

"I like to stay home and listen to recordings."

Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian Composer

30

"I write music with an exclamation point!"

"I write music with an exclamation point!"

Richard Wagner, German Composer

30

"In Paris, you learn wit, in London you learn to crush your social rivals, and in Florence you learn poise."

"In Paris, you learn wit, in London you learn to crush your social rivals, and in Florence you learn poise."

Virgil Thomson, American Composer

London, Paris, Wit

30

"When today's generation reads Jack's books or they listen to the music created by some of us, I believe that they see there is a different way of approaching today's life and today's sometimes seeming hopelessness that can provide answers."

"When today's generation reads Jack's books or they listen to the music created by some of us, I believe that they see there is a different way of approaching today's life and today's sometimes seeming hopelessness that can provide answers."

David Amram, American Composer

Life, Music, Answers, Books

30

"My parents did not have any interest in music."

"My parents did not have any interest in music."

Maurice Jarre, French Composer

Music, Interest, Parents

30

"You could say that everything the musicians have learned and known over the years, all of their technical resources, are in a dialogue with the things they are discovering every time, as if it was the first time."

"You could say that everything the musicians have learned and known over the years, all of their technical resources, are in a dialogue with the things they are discovering every time, as if it was the first time."

Fred Frith, English Composer

Time, First, Musicians, Years

30

"Everyone I used to play with has either given up or is dead."

"Everyone I used to play with has either given up or is dead."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

30

"I think art can reflect tragedy."

"I think art can reflect tragedy."

John Corigliano, American Composer

30

"People in very high places suddenly fall, and we are always surprised because we don't factor in the basic element that they're humans and, therefore, they are flawed and have weaknesses."

"People in very high places suddenly fall, and we are always surprised because we don't factor in the basic element that they're humans and, therefore, they are flawed and have weaknesses."

Carlisle Floyd, American Composer

30

"I also used these realistic sounds in a psychological way. With The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, I used animal sounds - as you say, the coyote sound - so the sound of the animal became the main theme of the movie."

"I also used these realistic sounds in a psychological way. With The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, I used animal sounds - as you say, the coyote sound - so the sound of the animal became the main theme of the movie."

Ennio Morricone, Italian Composer

30

"I have given up reading books; I find it takes my mind off myself."

"I have given up reading books; I find it takes my mind off myself."

Oscar Levant, American Composer

Books, Mind, Reading

30

"The jarring change going from an urban environment to an extremely remote natural environment is extremely inspiring. It's constantly stimulating, it's like a slap in the face."

"The jarring change going from an urban environment to an extremely remote natural environment is extremely inspiring. It's constantly stimulating, it's like a slap in the face."

Carter Burwell, American Composer

Change, Environment, Inspiring

30

"What force is more potent than love?"

"What force is more potent than love?"

Igor Stravinsky, Russian Composer

30

"Let people have an education and you can't stop them."

"Let people have an education and you can't stop them."

La Monte Young, American Composer

Education, People

30

"People come to music to seek oblivion: is that not also a form of deception?"

"People come to music to seek oblivion: is that not also a form of deception?"

Claude Debussy, French Composer

Music, People, Deception

30

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