Out of my entire annual output of songs, perhaps two, or at the most three, came as a result of inspiration. We can never rely on inspiration. When we most want it, it does not come.
George GershwinRead
I want to say at once that I frankly believe that Irving Berlin is the greatest songwriter that has ever lived.... His songs are exquisite cameos of perfection, and each one of them is as beautiful as its neighbor. Irving Berlin remains, I think, America's Schubert.
Interpretation
George Gershwin praises Irving Berlin as an unparalleled songwriter, comparing his work to that of Schubert.
This quote highlights the exceptional talent of Irving Berlin in the realm of songwriting. Gershwin expresses his belief that Berlin's songs are masterpieces, each showcasing a unique beauty and artistry that places him among the greatest composers in American history. The comparison to Schubert further emphasizes the high regard in which Gershwin holds Berlin's contributions to music.
In practice
In a speech celebrating a music festival, one might quote Gershwin to highlight the importance of songwriters like Berlin.
Out of my entire annual output of songs, perhaps two, or at the most three, came as a result of inspiration. We can never rely on inspiration. When we most want it, it does not come.
The composer does not sit around and wait for an inspiration to walk up and introduce itself...Making music is actually little else than a matter of invention aided and abetted by emotion. In composing we combine what we know of music with what we feel.
Originality is the only thing that counts. But the originator uses material and ideas that occur round him and pass through him. And out of his experience comes the original creation.
Summertime And the living is easy Fish are jumpin' And the cotton is high Oh, your daddy's rich And your mama's good lookin' So hush little baby now don't you cry One of these mornin's You're gonna rise up singin' Then you'll spread your wings And take to the sky But til that mornin' Ain't nothin' can harm you With your daddy And your mammy standin' by.
For suddenly, I saw you there And through foggy London town The sun was shining everywhere.
Music sets up certain vibration which unquestionably results in a physical reaction. Eventually the proper vibration for every person will be found and utilized.
The greatest sin for a writer is to be boring.
I've known since I was five that I wanted to be a writer.
My job as a performer is to make sure that whatever happens in a performance lives in somebody else, that it's memorable... If you forget tomorrow what you heard yesterday, there's really not much point in you having been there - or me, for that matter.
I find in all the artists that I admire most a disturbing element, a distortion, giving evidence of a struggle . . . . In great art, this conflict is hidden, it is unresolved. All that is bursting with energy is disturbing - not perfect.
Art is the daughter of freedom.
When people ask me if I am a feminist film maker, I reply I am a woman and I also make films.
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