Author: Harrison Birtwistle

Quotes

I'm not a music lover in the sense that I look for something to have on. I've never had that attitude to music.

I'm not a music lover in the sense that I look for something to have on. I've never had that attitude to music.

- Harrison Birtwistle

One thing I've tried to do in writing music is take on very basic things, very archetypal things.

One thing I've tried to do in writing music is take on very basic things, very archetypal things.

- Harrison Birtwistle

When I dealt with set theory, I could never make it be the music that I wanted.

When I dealt with set theory, I could never make it be the music that I wanted.

- Harrison Birtwistle

The theatre only knows what it's doing next week, not like the opera, where they say: What are we going to do in five years' time? A completely different attitude.

The theatre only knows what it's doing next week, not like the opera, where they say: What are we going to do in five years' time? A completely different attitude.

- Harrison Birtwistle

There are rhythmic ideas which sometimes only work up to a point. In writing there are moments when it just comes off the page, it's not just a collection of notes.

There are rhythmic ideas which sometimes only work up to a point. In writing there are moments when it just comes off the page, it's not just a collection of notes.

- Harrison Birtwistle

My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don't meet. And then your friends say: It's terrific!

My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don't meet. And then your friends say: It's terrific!

- Harrison Birtwistle

This sounds horribly pretentious, but I like to think that if music hadn't existed, I could have invented it.

This sounds horribly pretentious, but I like to think that if music hadn't existed, I could have invented it.

- Harrison Birtwistle

I wrote music as soon as I knew notation.

I wrote music as soon as I knew notation.

- Harrison Birtwistle

I think music has gone through a period of something very severe, rather radical, rather the way painting did with cubism.

I think music has gone through a period of something very severe, rather radical, rather the way painting did with cubism.

- Harrison Birtwistle

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