They want me to write differently. Certainly I could, but I must not. God has chosen me from thousands and given me, of all people, this talent. It is to Him that I must give account. How then would I stand there before Almighty God, if I followed the others and not Him?
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's unique talents and convictions, rather than conforming to the expectations of others.
In this quote, Anton Bruckner reveals his inner conflict as a creator who feels pressure to alter his artistic expression to fit in with societal norms. He asserts that his talent is a divine gift and that he must remain faithful to it in order to honor God. This highlights the importance of individuality in the creative process and the moral responsibility that comes with being true to oneself in the face of external expectations.
In practice
During a speech on creative freedom, one could use this quote to inspire artists to embrace their own unique voices.
When we play an unaccompanied Bach suite we may compare ourselves to an actor in Shakespeare's day, creating scenery which did not exist at all, through the power of declamation and suggestion. So in Bach. There is but one voice -- and many voices have to be suggested.
I was born out of due time in the sense that by temperament and talent I should have been more suited for the life of a small Bach, living in anonymity and composing regularly for an established service and for God.
A great emotion is too selfish ; it takes into itself all the blood of the spirit, and the congestion leaves the hands too cold to write. Three sorts of emotion produce great poetry - strong but quick emotions, seized upon for art as soon as they have passed, but not before they have passed ; strong and deep emotions in their remembrance along time after ; and false emotions, that is to say, emotions felt in the intellect. Not insincerity, but a translated sincerity, is the basis of all art.
Architecture, like dance, is also a language - one that everybody understands.
You must in all Airs follow the strength, spirit, and disposition of the horse, and do nothing against nature; for art is but to set nature in order, and nothing else.
I would rather be attacked than unnoticed. For the worst thing you can do to an author is to be silent as to his works.
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