These two are not two, love has made them one. Amo Ergo Sum! And by its mystery each is no less but more.
Benjamin BrittenRead
It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The beauty of music can bring both joy and pain due to its emotional depth.
This quote reflects the paradox of music's beauty and its capacity to evoke strong emotions. Benjamin Britten suggests that while music can uplift and inspire, it can also remind us of life's sorrows, making the experience of listening to beautiful music simultaneously joyful and poignant.
Themes
MusicBeautyEmotionPainJoy
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a music festival, one might quote this to reflect on the emotional power of performances.
More from Benjamin Britten
All quotes βThe old idea of a composer suddenly having a terrific idea and sitting up all night to write it is nonsense. Nighttime is for sleeping.
Benjamin BrittenRead
Composing is like driving down a foggy road toward a house. Slowly you see more details of the house-the color of the slates and bricks, the shape of the windows. The notes are the bricks and the mortar of the house.
Benjamin BrittenRead
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