My music is best understood by children and animals.
Igor StravinskyRead
The trouble with music appreciation in general is that people are taught to have too much respect for music they should be taught to love it instead.
Interpretation
Stravinsky emphasizes that music should be enjoyed and loved rather than just respected.
In this quote, Igor Stravinsky critiques the way music appreciation is often taught, suggesting that the focus should not merely be on respecting music for its technical qualities or historical significance. Instead, he argues that the genuine experience of music comes from developing a deep love and appreciation for it, which allows individuals to connect with it on a more personal and emotional level.
In practice
During a music festival, I shared this quote to emphasize the joy of experiencing live performances.
My music is best understood by children and animals.
Conductors' careers are made for the most part with 'Romantic' music. 'Classic' music eliminates the conductor; we do not remember him in it.
Invention presupposes imagination but should not be confused with it.
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 composer is not only an architect but also an inventor, and he should not build houses in which he cannot live.
Music must be listened to; it is not enough to hear it. A duck hears also.
Just as our eyes need light in order to see, our minds need ideas in order to create.
There's no line between a designer and consumer.
A song is the exultation of the mind dwelling on eternal things, bursting forth in the voice.
There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.
Behind the aesthetic form lies the repressed harmony of sensuousness and reason
Homer has taught all other poets the art of telling lies skillfully.
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