---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have a duty towards music; namely to…"
description: "\"We have a duty towards music; namely to invent it. ...Invention presupposes imagination but should not be confused with it. For the act of invention ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/igor-stravinsky-4697_achieve_we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-i_948347.jpg"
---

#  We have a duty towards music; namely to invent it…

![“We have a duty towards music; namely to invent it. ...Invention presupposes imagination but should not be confused with it. For the act of invention implies the necessity of a lucky find and of achieving realization of this find. What we imagine does not necessarily take on concrete form and may…” quote by Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/igor-stravinsky-4697_achieve_we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-i_948347.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/igor-stravinsky-4697_achieve_we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-i_948347.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/igor-stravinsky-4697_achieve_we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-i_948347.jpg)

> “We have a duty towards music; namely to invent it. ...Invention presupposes imagination but should not be confused with it. For the act of invention implies the necessity of a lucky find and of achieving realization of this find. What we imagine does not necessarily take on concrete form and may remain in a state of virtuality; whereas invention is not conceivable apart from its actually being worked out.”

[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.

Music creators must move beyond imagination to tangible invention, requiring discovery and realization, not just abstract ideas.

**In simple terms:** Inventing music needs real creation, not just dreaming.

Key Takeaway

Turn imagined ideas into concrete musical works.

Themes

creativity innovation music realization

Mood

inspirational analytical

Type

artistic educational

When to use this quote

- musical composition
- creative workshops
- collaborative projects

Key Concepts

artistic process inventive practice disciplinary imagination

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps will you take to materialize a musical idea?
- How do you differentiate between dreaming and inventing?

A Different Perspective

Imagination alone may never become audible without effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/)

## Related quotes

> [Invention presupposes imagination but should not be confused with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/invention-presupposes-imagination-but-should-not-be-confused-with-it/)

[Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/)

> [We have a duty towards music, namely, to invent it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-invent-it/)

[Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/)

> [It's weird. I went so far away from music that I had to re-invent music again. I had to come back to music. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domino-kirke/it-s-weird-i-went-so-far-away-from-music-that-i-had-to-re-invent/)

[Domino Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domino-kirke/)

> [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/)

> [The psychological condition of fear is divorced from any concrete and true immediate danger. It comes in many forms: unease, worry, anxiety, nervousness, tension,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-psychological-condition-of-fear-is-divorced-from-any-concrete-and/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [There's a point in me where it's beyond sad, seeing the state of the world today. It's so screwed up. It's terrible, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/there-s-a-point-in-me-where-it-s-beyond-sad-seeing-the-state-of-the/)

[George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/)

> [“But what a feeling can come over a man just from seeing the things he believes in and hopes for symbolized in the concrete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/but-what-a-feeling-can-come-over-a-man-just-from-seeing-the-things-he/)

[Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/)

> [Perhaps, if science is clever enough to see, it will realize that religion may not be too far off with its concrete imagery; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lanza/perhaps-if-science-is-clever-enough-to-see-it-will-realize-that/)

[Robert Lanza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lanza/)

> [...it is a very risky thing for anyone to go about proclaiming the truth simply because he finds himself in possession of concrete documentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-amado/it-is-a-very-risky-thing-for-anyone-to-go-about-proclaiming-the-truth/)

[Jorge Amado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-amado/)

> [While much of modern behavioral and social science treats individuals as autonomous agents, it is absolutely clear that the way we think and act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-r-nelson/while-much-of-modern-behavioral-and-social-science-treats-individuals/)

Richard R. Nelson

> [I just can't recruit where there's grass around. You gotta have a concrete lawn before I feel comfortable enough to go in and talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-just-can-t-recruit-where-there-s-grass-around-you-gotta-have-a/)

[Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/)

> [If they are, then the only ultimate truths are the particulars of concrete experience, and no postulate or general assumption is inherent in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-wright/if-they-are-then-the-only-ultimate-truths-are-the-particulars-of/)

[Chauncey Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-wright/)

> [Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. Love is not fundamentally a sweet feeling; not, at heart, a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-heyward/love-like-truth-and-beauty-is-concrete-love-is-not-fundamentally-a/)

[Carter Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-heyward/)

> [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/)

[Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/)

> [I used a psychologist when I was playing, It's one of the most powerful things: how you can have a concrete head and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-parker/i-used-a-psychologist-when-i-was-playing-it-s-one-of-the-most/)

[Scott Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-parker/)

## 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 Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

Deon Taylor

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power &amp; movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We have a duty towards music; namely to invent it.  ...Invention presupposes imagination but should not be confused with it.  For the act of invention implies the necessity of a lucky find and of achieving realization of this find.  What we imagine does not necessarily take on concrete form and may remain in a state of virtuality; whereas invention is not conceivable apart from its actually being worked out.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Igor Stravinsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-invent-it-invention/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-invent-it-invention/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/igor-stravinsky-4697_achieve_we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-i_948347.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/igor-stravinsky-4697_achieve_we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-i_948347.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/igor-stravinsky-4697_achieve_we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-i_948347.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We have a duty towards music; namely to invent it. ...Invention presupposes imagination but should not 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": "We have a duty towards music;...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-invent-it-invention/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/we-have-a-duty-towards-music-namely-to-invent-it-invention/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
