Rufus Wainwright Quotes

97 quotes in 1230 categories

• I am under no illusion that I will ever be the greatest opera composer in the world, with Wagner and Verdi and Strauss before me.… Composer
• I basically have needed to go to the piano and give voice periodically to, you know - I'm always afraid to describe it as a… Afraid
• I definitely try to broaden the scope of music. I don't know if it's pop or classical or what, but I'm religiously challenging myself all… All
• I made the decision to take on board the critical feedback. Reviews are something you can easily ignore as a performer or writer but I… Benefited
• I'm a big fan of the Pre-Raphaelites. Millais, Edward Burne-Jones, and I realised recently that my music is Pre-Raphaelite in a certain way, in that… Big
• I'm definitely a fan of juxtaposition. Using the most beautiful line to say the most horrific thing - I think one of the main things… Beautiful
• I'm not born again, I'm not Kabbalah, God forbid, but I did have an experience hitting 30 that I needed to lean on something that… Assured
• I've paid the price; I definitely have a reputation that precedes me, and there is a camp that plots my demise. But then again... it's… Camp
• In the music business, to survive for so long, you have to be able to cut off from your emotions sometimes. And being a father,… Able
• My parents were serious working musicians, but they were not stars - not like pop stars that you have now. They had to make a… Hard
• New York is not the centre for American culture and art that it once was because of the forces of conservatism. Giuliani, capitalism - and… American
• The Germany I was enthused with was more old fashioned and kind of romantic. I just got there, and the next thing you know, I… Album
• There's prejudice everywhere. I don't think the music industry is as bad as the movie industry. But I have taken a few hits over the… Bad
• When I wrote the opera, I made a deal with myself that for at least an hour a day I would work on it, even… Artistic
• When it comes to sitting down and composing, there is no hesitation, no concern, no critics breathing fire down my neck. For me, writing a… All
• You know the question: 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall?' Answer: 'Practise?' Well, in my case, I got there by not practising. I didn't… Answer
• When it came to using elements of your personal life in your work, my mother was the master, or the mistress. There were three or… Came
• I think my mother, more than anyone, knew the importance of inspiration. If it was occurring, you had to use it. Anyone
• My dad and I have always been somewhat competitive. Been
• I like to sing to Verdi, I like singing to Sibelius, and Mahler maybe. Like Singing

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