All Harrison Birtwistle Quotes
- Minimalism now is a reaction to what came before. It's absolutely of its time. Music moved into the set theory thing, and moved out of… Absolutely
- When I dealt with set theory, I could never make it be the music that I wanted. Dealt
- I don't have ideas so much as there are things which constantly evolve... there are various threads or layers, if you like, which change. Change
- I think music has gone through a period of something very severe, rather radical, rather the way painting did with cubism. Cubism
- 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. Alaska
- When I was confronted with official tuition, the academic thing, I could see no relationship whatever between that and the music I'd been writing since… Academic
- I don't think there is much American music. American
- 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… All
- It's the irrational things that interest me. Inspirational
- I always write the pieces I want to write. Always Write
- I didn't have a record player. Inspirational
- I think there are influences that you open the door to, and influences that come under the door. Door
- I wrote music as soon as I knew notation. Funny
- I'm not an architectural composer. Architectural
- In the end it doesn't matter what you do. End
- Music is such a problem in the time it takes. Inspirational
- My operas and my theatre works are very formal pieces. Formal
- My operas usually come from musical ideas rather than ideas about subject matter. From
- One thing I've tried to do in writing music is take on very basic things, very archetypal things. Archetypal
- People say my music is English. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's not me writing English music, but that English music is becoming… Becoming