Unlike film and TV, theater is a luxury object, but one that ordinary middle-class people can still afford. Above all, it isn't a mass medium: Live theater is a small-scale, handmade art form. Intimacy is what makes it special.
Terry TeachoutRead
Century-old records are the closest thing we have to a time machine. To listen to the voice of Theodore Roosevelt or the piano playing of Claude Debussy is to feel the years falling away like autumn leaves from a maple tree.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Historical recordings allow us to experience the past in a unique and personal way.
This quote highlights the extraordinary ability of century-old recordings to transport us to the past, enabling us to hear the voices and music of historical figures like Theodore Roosevelt and Claude Debussy. It suggests that these recordings act as time machines, allowing us to connect with the emotions and experiences of those who lived before us, making history feel alive and tangible.
Themes
HistoryRecordingsTime MachineMusicVoices
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about the impact of early 20th-century music, this quote could be used to emphasize the value of historical recordings.
More from Terry Teachout
All quotes →No translation can possibly be perfect. Every production and every performance is a different path up the mountain, and nobody ever makes it all the way to the summit.
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Just as most of us prefer to watch a trapeze artist work without a net, we like to be absolutely sure that a virtuoso is giving us our money's worth, and a seemingly effortless performance, no matter how spectacular it may be, deprives us of that slightly sadistic thrill.
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