The pedal is the soul of the piano.
Anton RubinsteinRead
Pianists call me a composer, composers call me a pianist. The classicists think me a futurist, and the futurists call me a reactionary.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the complexity of identity and how individuals are perceived differently by various groups.
Anton Rubinstein's quote highlights the multifaceted nature of identity in the arts, specifically in music. It shows how a person's work can be interpreted in contrasting ways depending on the perspective of the observer, indicating that labels such as 'composer' or 'pianist' may not capture the full essence of an artist's capabilities and contributions. The differing views of classicists and futurists further illustrate this point, emphasizing that artistic expression can transcend categorization.
Themes
IdentityPerceptionArtMusicComplexity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the role of art in society, one could use this quote to illustrate the diverse interpretations of artists.
More from Anton Rubinstein
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Although I am losing my Soviet citizenship, I do not cease to be a Russian poet.
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I don't care who you are. When you sit down to write the first page of your screenplay, in your head, you're also writing your Oscar acceptance speech.
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I am imbued with the notion that a Muse is necessarily a dead woman, inaccessible or absent; that a poetic structure - like the canon, which is only a hole surrounded by steel - can be based only on what one does not have; and that ultimately one can write only to fill a void or at the least to situate, in relation to the most lucid part of ourselves, the place where this incommensurable abyss yawns within us.
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The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world. In this long vigil he often has to vary his methods of stimulation; but in this long vigil he is also himself striving against a continual tendency to sleep.
Marc ChagallRead
I think what really stays with me is the idea that you can write music about the texture of a wall, and everything is in some way connected.
Ludovico EinaudiRead
I've made movies that I thought were okay, but then I was very good. And sometimes you're in a movie and you think, 'I wish more people saw that' - because you're good. And it just works out that the movie gets lost. But that's show business.
Christopher WalkenRead