--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never understood the need for a \"live\"…" description: "\"I never understood the need for a \"live\" audience. My music, because of its extreme quietude, would be happiest with a dead one.\" — Igor Stravinsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/igor-stravinsky-4697_audience_i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-a_2608104.jpg" --- # I never understood the need for a "live" audience. My… ![“I never understood the need for a "live" audience. My music, because of its extreme quietude, would be happiest with a dead one.” quote by Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/igor-stravinsky-4697_audience_i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-a_2608104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/igor-stravinsky-4697_audience_i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-a_2608104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/igor-stravinsky-4697_audience_i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-a_2608104.jpg) > “I never understood the need for a "live" audience. My music, because of its extreme quietude, would be happiest with a dead one.” [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prefers recordings that capture his quiet music without the distraction of a live audience. **In simple terms:** Quiet music suits recorded listening better than live performance. Key Takeaway Choose recording over live shows for intimate pieces. Themes music performance audience recording silence Mood contemplative introspective Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - studio recording - home listening - personal practice - music production Key Concepts acoustic intimacy listener focus Questions to Reflect On - Do you prefer listening alone or with others? - How does audience presence affect your experience? A Different Perspective Live settings may still offer unique energy and interaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-music-299231/) [Concert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concert/) [Extreme Quietude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extreme-quietude-2002324/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Live audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-audience/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-is/) [Need Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-live-422622/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [I would like to reach out to the global audience; Music is beyond all the culture and language barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-imman/i-would-like-to-reach-out-to-the-global-audience-music-is-beyond-all/) [D. Imman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-imman/) > [I'm the audience first, and if you're gonna be a great performer, you need to be a great audience. So, I do music for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-lynne/i-m-the-audience-first-and-if-you-re-gonna-be-a-great-performer-you/) [Shelby Lynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-lynne/) > [It's a world now where you don't necessarily have to be on the radio or be on the TV to be a star. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-devaughn/it-s-a-world-now-where-you-don-t-necessarily-have-to-be-on-the-radio/) [Raheem DeVaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-devaughn/) > [It still amazes me how many musicians aren't really interested in engaging with their audience at all. Alfred Brendel, a pianist for whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/it-still-amazes-me-how-many-musicians-aren-t-really-interested-in/) [Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/) > [In concert, I often try to feel the audience and feel their way of hearing. If I feel that there is no contact between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michala-petri/in-concert-i-often-try-to-feel-the-audience-and-feel-their-way-of/) [Michala Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michala-petri/) > ['Jersey Boys' has been the most amazing experience ever and has exposed an entire new audience to the music. It's great to see people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-valli/jersey-boys-has-been-the-most-amazing-experience-ever-and-has-exposed/) [Frankie Valli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-valli/) > [I have always had an audience for my music, even in the very avant garde, crazy times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-penderecki/i-have-always-had-an-audience-for-my-music-even-in-the-very-avant/) [Krzysztof Penderecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-penderecki/) > [The interesting thing about improvisation is you're making something up in front of the audience. Now music helps you out a little bit because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/the-interesting-thing-about-improvisation-is-you-re-making-something/) [David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/) > [ Frank \[Zappa\]'s music was never for the mass audience. His music contains specific kinds of information that you won't find elsewhere in rock and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-zappa/frank-zappa-s-music-was-never-for-the-mass-audience-his-music/) [Gail Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-zappa/) > [Ideally the point of music is community, not the player. Musicians are simply channels to link the audience to the music and to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/ideally-the-point-of-music-is-community-not-the-player-musicians-are/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [The society that produced The Who, The Stones, Dylan, Paul McCartney and later on people, like myself, is over. The materialistic society that produces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/the-society-that-produced-the-who-the-stones-dylan-paul-mccartney-and/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [“You Don't need anyone to live a full life, You just need to find yourself!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-ghorbani/you-don-t-need-anyone-to-live-a-full-life-you-just-need-to-find/) [J.Ghorbani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-ghorbani/) > [I need to live my life in the light of their deaths. I need to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-need-to-live-my-life-in-the-light-of-their-deaths-i-need-to-live/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [You simply need to live with the choices you make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-simply-need-to-live-with-the-choices-you-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's like asking me to describe fresh water. I need it to live. I need her to live”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calia-read/it-s-like-asking-me-to-describe-fresh-water-i-need-it-to-live-i-need/) [Calia Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calia-read/) ## More by Igor Stravinsky > [Why is it that whenever I hear a piece of music I don't like, it's always by Villa Lobos?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/why-is-it-that-whenever-i-hear-a-piece-of-music-i-don-t-like-it-s/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [The trouble with music appreciation in general is that people are taught to have too much respect for music they should be taught to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/the-trouble-with-music-appreciation-in-general-is-that-people-are/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [I remember being handed a score composed by Mozart at the age of eleven. What could I say? I felt like de Kooning, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/i-remember-being-handed-a-score-composed-by-mozart-at-the-age-of/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [We can neither put back the clock nor slow down our forward speed, and as we are already flying pilotless, on instrument controls, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/we-can-neither-put-back-the-clock-nor-slow-down-our-forward-speed-and/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [It is the transcendent (or 'abstract' or 'self-contained') nature of music that the new so called concretism--Pop Art, eighteen-hour slices-of-reality films, musique concrete--opposes. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/it-is-the-transcendent-or-abstract-or-self-contained-nature-of-music/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [Composition is frozen improvisation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/composition-is-frozen-improvisation/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [Money may kindle, but it cannot by itself, and for very long, burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/money-may-kindle-but-it-cannot-by-itself-and-for-very-long-burn/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [One has a nose. The nose scents and it chooses. An artist is simply a kind of pig snouting truffles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/one-has-a-nose-the-nose-scents-and-it-chooses-an-artist-is-simply-a/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [Music is the sole domain in which man realizes the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/music-is-the-sole-domain-in-which-man-realizes-the-present/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [One's belief that one is sincere is not so dangerous as one's conviction that one is right. We all feel we are right; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/one-s-belief-that-one-is-sincere-is-not-so-dangerous-as-one-s/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [A composer is not only an architect but also an inventor, and he should not build houses in which he cannot live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/a-composer-is-not-only-an-architect-but-also-an-inventor-and-he/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [Harpists spend 90 percent of their lives tuning their harps and 10 percent playing out of tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/harpists-spend-90-percent-of-their-lives-tuning-their-harps-and-10/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [Just as appetite comes by eating, so work brings inspiration, if inspiration is not discernible at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/just-as-appetite-comes-by-eating-so-work-brings-inspiration-if/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [My childhood was a period of waiting for the moment when I could send everyone and everything connected with it to hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/my-childhood-was-a-period-of-waiting-for-the-moment-when-i-could-send/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [Look for the music on all things, and life will be a symphony of joy. My music is best understood by children and animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/look-for-the-music-on-all-things-and-life-will-be-a-symphony-of-joy/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) [Explore all 107 Igor Stravinsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never understood the need for a \"live\" audience. My music, because of its extreme quietude, would be happiest with a dead one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Igor Stravinsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-audience-my-music-because-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-audience-my-music-because-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/igor-stravinsky-4697_audience_i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-a_2608104.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/igor-stravinsky-4697_audience_i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-a_2608104.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/igor-stravinsky-4697_audience_i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-a_2608104.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never understood the need for a \"live\" audience. My music, because of its extreme quietude, would be…” — Igor Stravinsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Igor Stravinsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never understood the need for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-audience-my-music-because-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/i-never-understood-the-need-for-a-live-audience-my-music-because-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```