Activity Quote by George Perle
“Every bit of theorizing I've ever done, including my interest in Berg, has come as a consequence of discoveries I made as a composer and interests that I developed as a composer. I never thought of my theory as being a kind of irrelevant activity to my composing.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Composer as Theorist" in The Musical Quarterly, 1972
Theoretical work emerges from compositional practice, not as a separate, irrelevant activity.
In simple terms: Theory grows from composing.
Key Takeaway
Integrate theory and practice.
Themes
music
theory
creativity
integration
Mood
analytical
inspirational
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- composing
- teaching
- research
Key Concepts
musicology
cognitive process
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your practice inform your ideas?
- Can theory improve your composition?
A Different Perspective
Focusing only on theory may neglect practical skill.
![“If... [Alban] Berg departs so radically from tradition, through his substitution of a symmetrical partitioning of the octave for the asymmetrical partionings of the major/minor system, he departs just as radically from the twelve-tone tradition that is represented in the music of Schoenberg and…” quote by George Perle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cbc/george-perle-87539_circulation_if-alban-berg-departs-so-radically-from_1851359.jpg)
