Quotes by Composers

It's useless to play lullabies for those who cannot sleep. John Cage
Those Cannot Useless Who Play Sleep
You know, when people look at a tree, they look at the leaves; they don't look at the spaces between the leaves. They're focused on the tree. I think there's an awareness of spaces or it wouldn't look like a tree to them. Keith Jarrett
You People Awareness Think Tree Focused Between Like Know Look Leaves Spaces Them
Once I make up my mind, I'm full of indecision. Oscar Levant
Mind Once Indecision Make Make Up Up Full
Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character. Oscar Levant
Character Enormous Underneath Flabby Lack Exterior
What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left. Oscar Levant
Needs World Few Humility More Geniuses Left Us
Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember. Oscar Levant
Happiness You Experience Remember Something
I hate this fast growing tendency to chain men to machines in big factories and deprive them of all joy in their efforts - the plan will lead to cheap men and cheap products. Richard Wagner
Hate Joy Will Men Big Machines Tendency Factories Lead Cheap Efforts Them Plan Deprive Products Chain Growing Fast
Nature best teaches how to pray, and how to reverence all the gifts the Almighty has given us. She is like a vast outspread handkerchief, embroidered with God's eternal name, on which we may dry alike our tears of sorrow and of joy; she turns weeping into ecstasy, and fills our hearts with speechless, quiet reverence and resignation. Robert Schumann
God Best Nature Joy Tears Speechless Our Alike Gifts Given Vast Weeping Almighty Name Like Ecstasy She Sorrow Dry How Reverence Pray Handkerchief Quiet Hearts May Which Eternal Us Turns Teaches Fills Resignation
I'm just delighted to be living, to be able to have a simple conversation, to feel a ray of sunlight on my skin and listen to the breeze move through the leaves of a tree. Ryuichi Sakamoto
Conversation Simple Skin Living Tree Sunlight Able Delighted Through Ray Feel Leaves Listen Move Just Breeze
Live in the present moment. The past and future are nonexistent. Only the present can be grasped or, better, embraced. Stephen Hough
Future Better Past Live Embraced Only Nonexistent Past And Future Moment Grasped Present Present Moment
The worst thing you can do is censor yourself as the pencil hits the paper. You must not edit until you get it all on paper. If you can put everything down, stream-of-consciousness, you'll do yourself a service. Stephen Sondheim
Service You Yourself Down Everything Paper Worst Pencil Worst Thing Must Put Until Edit Get Hits Censor Thing
Music is at once the product of feeling and knowledge, for it requires from its disciples, composers and performers alike, not only talent and enthusiasm, but also that knowledge and perception which are the result of protracted study and reflection. Alban Berg
Music Knowledge Result Reflection Enthusiasm Perception Feeling Once Alike Composers Only Study Performers Talent Also Disciples Protracted Which Product Requires
My 10th Sonata is a sonata of insects. Insects are born from the sun... they are the sun's kisses. Alexander Scriabin
Insects Sun Born Kisses Sonata
For a solo work I need a definite idea. For the present I have none. Alfred Schnittke
Work Definite Solo Idea None Present Need
You cannot help but notice that schools that take music seriously tend to be more academically successful. Andrew Lloyd Webber
Music You Seriously More Tend Take Academically Schools Cannot Successful Notice Help
People like to put you into a box. I'm afraid I don't sit in a box. Andrew Lloyd Webber
You People Sit Put Like Box Afraid
You're the luckiest person in the entire world if you know what you really want to do, which I was lucky enough to know when I was very young. And you're the luckiest person in the world if you can then make a living out of it. Andrew Lloyd Webber
You World Young Living Enough Out Entire Entire World Know Make Very Person Want Which Then Really Luckiest Lucky
You have a great result if the orchestra trusts the conductor, and the conductor trusts the orchestra. Andris Nelsons
Great You Result Trusts Conductor Orchestra
Though involvement in music and the arts can't cure all the ills of society, I do believe that the inspiration they provide has the potential to help us reflect, at times, on the better angels of our natures. Andris Nelsons
Music Better Reflect Believe Society Our Though Angels Potential Inspiration Involvement Provide Cure Times Arts Us Help Natures Ills
But I fear, my lot being cast in Scotland, that beauty would not be content. Anne Boyd
Fear Beauty Would Cast Content Lot Scotland Being
I never was very capable of expressing my feelings or emotions in words. I don't know whether this is the cause why I did it in music and also why I did it in painting. Or vice versa: That I had this way as an outlet. I could renounce expressing something in words. Arnold Schoenberg
Music Emotions Words Cause Feelings Vice Versa Painting Way Outlet Something Could Never Had Know Also Renounce Versa Very Did Vice Whether Capable Expressing Why
I jokingly refer to the word 'gourmet' as the 'g' word. Arthur Schwartz
Word Gourmet Refer
I feel that all good art is powerful and simple. Aulis Sallinen
Art Good Simple Feel Powerful Good Art
By concentrating on precision, one arrives at technique, but by concentrating on technique one does not arrive at precision. Bruno Walter
Concentrating Does Arrive Precision Technique
If you learn classical guitar, you play Bach, and then John Dowland. He's the greatest. He's interesting for many, many reasons. Bryce Dessner
You Guitar Bach John Classical Classical Guitar He Learn Greatest Interesting Then Reasons Many Play
Never be ashamed to write a melody that people remember. Burt Bacharach
People Remember Melody Write Never Ashamed
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