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Music Notes: Famous Quotes
By
David Amos
A few months
ago I had the pleasure to record quotes about music at our San Diego 24-hour
classical music station, XLNC (90.7 FM), for broadcasting between musical
selections. I found this to be a fascinating experience, in that I learned what
others have said about music. Some of these people are the great composers
themselves, others are from world-renowned personalities who have made their
names in achievements other than music, and others are from people whose names I
did not recognize.
But
all these quotes shared a common interest and intent for me: They are either
insightful about the importance of music to all of us, or they give us a deeper
perspective of the author and his or her thoughts. You may not agree with all of
them. At times, other remarks are simply humorous, with no great insight, just
an inside joke meant for us to enjoy. Here is a partial list of some of my
favorites:
“Music
expresses that which can not be said and on which it is impossible to be
silent.” Victor Hugo, French poet, dramatist, writer.
“After
silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
Aldous Huxley, British writer.
“Just
as certain selections of music will nourish your physical body and your
emotional layer, so other musical works will bring greater health to your
mind.” Hal A. Lingerman.
“People
whose sensibility is destroyed by music trains, airports, lifts, cannot
concentrate on a Beethoven Quartet!” Witold Lutoslawski, contemporary
Polish composer.
“Military
justice is to justice what military music is to music.” Groucho Marx.
“Modern music is as dangerous as narcotics.” Pietro Mascagni, opera
composer.
“Music
is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world.” Giuseppe
Mazzini, 19th Century Italian patriot.
“Music
is a beautiful opiate, if you don’t take it too seriously.” Henry Miller.
“My
loathings are simple: Stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music.”
Vladimir Nabokov, Russian born American writer, poet.
“Music
is spiritual. The music business is not.” Van Morrison.
“You
don’t need any brains to listen to music.” Luciano Pavarotti.
“Philosophy is the highest music.” Plato
“Give me a laundry list and I’ll set it to music.” Gioacchino
Rossini, composer.
“A day out-of-doors, someone I love to talk with, a good book, and some
simple food and music — that would be rest.” Eleanor Roosevelt.
“The earth has music for those who listen.” William Shakespeare.
“Two quotes by Stravinsky: “Too many pieces of music finish too long
after the end,” and “A good composer does not imitate; he steals!”
Conductor
George Szell gave us these two worthy remarks: “In music one must think with
the heart and feel with the brain,” and “Conductors must give unmistakable
and suggestive signals to the orchestra, not choreography to the audience.”
“When
I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to
the earliest times, to the latest.” Henry David Thoreau.
“Music is the shorthand of emotion.” Leo Tolstoy.
“Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.” Mark Twain.
“For
heights and depths no words can reach, music is the soul’s own speech.”
Anonymous.
“The most perfect expression of human behavior is the string
quartet.” Jeffrey Tate, conductor.
“Music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral
character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the
young must
be directed to music and must be educated in it.” Aristotle, in Politics.
“If a literary man puts together two words about music, one of them
will be wrong.” Aaron Copland.
“My heart is full of many things…there are moments when I feel that
speech is nothing after all.” Ludwig Van Beethoven.
“The
arts will not only open the door to children’s creativity and imagination, but
it will give them the problem-solving and communications skills they’ll
need to meet the challenges of the 21st century.” Jane Alexander.
“Mozart
is sweet sunshine.” Antonin Dvorak.
“The
art of music is so deep and profound that to approach it very seriously only is
not enough. One must approach music with serious rigor, and at the
same time, with a great, affectionate joy.” Nadia Boulanger, celebrated
French teacher.
“Music whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we
are, and for what, whence, and whereto.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“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.
“I don’t know anything about music. In my line, you don’t have
to!” Elvis Presley.
“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory
of G-d, and the refreshment of the soul.” Johann Sebastian Bach.
There are many, many more such quotes.
I hope that you have found these gems insightful, inspirational, and
entertaining.