--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both…" description: "\"I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both kitsch and profound. I love that lack of \"Good taste.\"\" — Cy Twombly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/cy-twombly-19966_good-taste_i-listed-to-tchaikovsky-he-is-both-kitsc_1871381.png" --- # I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both kitsch and profound. I… ![“I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both kitsch and profound. I love that lack of "Good taste."” quote by Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/cy-twombly-19966_good-taste_i-listed-to-tchaikovsky-he-is-both-kitsc_1871381.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/cy-twombly-19966_good-taste_i-listed-to-tchaikovsky-he-is-both-kitsc_1871381.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/cy-twombly-19966_good-taste_i-listed-to-tchaikovsky-he-is-both-kitsc_1871381.png) > “I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both kitsch and profound. I love that lack of "Good taste."” [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admires Tchaikovsky for blending popular, sentimental style with deep artistic insight, valuing the tension between taste and profundity. **In simple terms:** Appreciating music that mixes sentimentality with depth. Key Takeaway Embrace works that defy conventional taste. Themes art music taste paradox creativity Mood thoughtful curious Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - Listening to classical music - exploring avant‑garde art - discussing taste in criticism - teaching art history Key Concepts Aesthetic tension cultural critique emotional depth Questions to Reflect On - How does mixing kitsch and depth affect your perception of art? - Can taste be both good and bad? A Different Perspective May be seen as dismissive of traditional standards, risking elitism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-taste/) [Kitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kitsch/) [Lack Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-good-425547/) [Listed Tchaikovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listed-tchaikovsky-2584743/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Tchaikovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tchaikovsky/) [Tchaikovsky Kitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tchaikovsky-kitsch-2584742/) ## Related quotes > [Those who were still able to write beautiful melodies were kitsch composers like Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky approaches true art not in his numerous beautiful melodies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/those-who-were-still-able-to-write-beautiful-melodies-were-kitsch/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [“The humans lack good mirrors. It's so hard for anyone to show us how we look, and so hard for us to show them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-humans-lack-good-mirrors-it-s-so-hard-for-anyone-to-show-us-how/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“humans lack good mirrors. It's so hard for anyone to show us how we look, and so hard for us to show anyone how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/humans-lack-good-mirrors-it-s-so-hard-for-anyone-to-show-us-how-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Why, God? You made man in your own image. Why then do so many lack good sense? And why is that we are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-puz/why-god-you-made-man-in-your-own-image-why-then-do-so-many-lack-good/) [Richard Puz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-puz/) > [“No sex position, no matter how well-written, can make up for the lack of a good partner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-reisz/no-sex-position-no-matter-how-well-written-can-make-up-for-the-lack/) [Tiffany Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-reisz/) > [“There is a serious lack of good customer service in the police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-is-a-serious-lack-of-good-customer-service-in-the-police/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I'm starting to realize that people lack good mirrors. 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But when you haven't taken the time to get to know yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshia-knight-pulliam/i-don-t-know-if-there-is-a-lack-of-good-black-men-but-when-you-haven/) [Keshia Knight Pulliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshia-knight-pulliam/) > [For me, listening to Beethoven and Tchaikovsky in particular, there's an emotional aspect - very different kinds of emotional aspects from those two composers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-glover/for-me-listening-to-beethoven-and-tchaikovsky-in-particular-there-s/) [Crispin Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-glover/) > [I love anything by Tchaikovsky. He was the real pop star of his day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-love-anything-by-tchaikovsky-he-was-the-real-pop-star-of-his-day/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [A friend gave me a CD of the 'Pathetique' Symphony as a Christmas present. I went home, and I put on the CD expecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-dudamel/a-friend-gave-me-a-cd-of-the-pathetique-symphony-as-a-christmas/) [Gustavo Dudamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-dudamel/) > [They say that Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a homosexual. Truth be told, we don't love him because of that, but he was a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/they-say-that-pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky-was-a-homosexual-truth-be-told/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/if-they-can-learn-to-say-tchaikovsky-and-michelangelo-and-dostoyevsky/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) ## More by Cy Twombly > [I would’ve liked to have been Poussin, if I’d had a choice, in another time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-would-ve-liked-to-have-been-poussin-if-i-d-had-a-choice-in-another/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [White paint is my marble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/white-paint-is-my-marble/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [Paint is something that I use with my hands and do all those tactile things. I really don't like oil because you can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/paint-is-something-that-i-use-with-my-hands-and-do-all-those-tactile/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [I hate roses. Don't you? It's all right if you can hide them in a cutting garden, but I think a rose garden is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-hate-roses-don-t-you-it-s-all-right-if-you-can-hide-them-in-a/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [I had my freedom and that was nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-had-my-freedom-and-that-was-nice/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [Once I said to my mother: 'You would be happy if I just kept well-dressed and had good manners,' and she said: 'What else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/once-i-said-to-my-mother-you-would-be-happy-if-i-just-kept-well/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [I love my sculptures, and I was lucky I had them for 50 years because no one would look at them and I really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-love-my-sculptures-and-i-was-lucky-i-had-them-for-50-years-because/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [I work in waves, because I'm impatient. Because of a certain physicality, of lack of breath from standing. It has to be done and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-work-in-waves-because-i-m-impatient-because-of-a-certain/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [I used to change things in my early paintings to get the nuance or feeling I wanted, but now I plan everything in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-used-to-change-things-in-my-early-paintings-to-get-the-nuance-or/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [Graffiti is usually a protest - ink on walls - or has a reason for being naughty or aggressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/graffiti-is-usually-a-protest-ink-on-walls-or-has-a-reason-for-being/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [I swear if I had to do this over again, I would just do the paintings and never show them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-swear-if-i-had-to-do-this-over-again-i-would-just-do-the-paintings/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [To my mind, one does not put oneself in place of the past; one only adds a new link.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/to-my-mind-one-does-not-put-oneself-in-place-of-the-past-one-only/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [Virginia is a good start for Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/virginia-is-a-good-start-for-italy/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [And we who have always thought of happiness climbing, would feel the emotion that almost startles when happiness falls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/and-we-who-have-always-thought-of-happiness-climbing-would-feel-the/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) > [When I work, I work very fast, but preparing to work can take any length of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/when-i-work-i-work-very-fast-but-preparing-to-work-can-take-any/) [Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) [Explore all 31 Cy Twombly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/) ## More Good taste quotes > [Good taste ruins certain true spiritual values: such as taste itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/good-taste-ruins-certain-true-spiritual-values-such-as-taste-itself/) [Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/) > [Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [Fashion is here to help make people look very important. If they have good taste and choose what suits them, I give them options…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/fashion-is-here-to-help-make-people-look-very-important-if-they-have/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [Good taste cannot supply the place of genius in literature, for the best proof of taste, when there is no genius, would be, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-stael/good-taste-cannot-supply-the-place-of-genius-in-literature-for-the/) [Madame de Stael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-stael/) > [I'm big on what's in good taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/i-m-big-on-what-s-in-good-taste/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [The male gay community seems to be very into female singers. I think it could be the songs we sing. They're more open with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-minnelli/the-male-gay-community-seems-to-be-very-into-female-singers-i-think/) [Liza Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-minnelli/) > [Good taste comes more from the judgment than from the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/good-taste-comes-more-from-the-judgment-than-from-the-mind/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The kind of people who always go on about whether a thing is in good taste invariably have very bad taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-orton/the-kind-of-people-who-always-go-on-about-whether-a-thing-is-in-good/) [Joe Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-orton/) > [Good taste is synonymous with success in all fields of life. It's not a question of money, but of a trained eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-baldrige/good-taste-is-synonymous-with-success-in-all-fields-of-life-it-s-not/) [Letitia Baldrige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-baldrige/) > [Simplicity, good taste and grooming are the three fundamentals of good dressing and these do not cost money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-dior/simplicity-good-taste-and-grooming-are-the-three-fundamentals-of-good/) [Christian Dior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-dior/) > [My grandmother used to babysit us when I was younger, and would always play old-school music. It gets to me. Grandma had some good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-green/my-grandmother-used-to-babysit-us-when-i-was-younger-and-would-always/) [Virgil Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-green/) > [My family brainwashed me, like I'm brainwashing my children. They brainwashed me with good taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madlib/my-family-brainwashed-me-like-i-m-brainwashing-my-children-they/) [Madlib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madlib/) > [Those Dutchmen had hardly any imagination or fantasy, but their good taste and their scientific knowledge of composition were enormous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/those-dutchmen-had-hardly-any-imagination-or-fantasy-but-their-good/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I believe that bad taste is vulgar. It's like cursing. I think the world can be saved through design, because what is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-believe-that-bad-taste-is-vulgar-it-s-like-cursing-i-think-the/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Tact is good taste in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-de-poitiers/tact-is-good-taste-in-action/) [Diane de Poitiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-de-poitiers/) [Browse all 228 Good taste quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-taste/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both kitsch and profound. 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