--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What Music expresses is eternal…" description: "\"What Music expresses is eternal, infinite, and ideal; she expresses not the passion, love, desire, of this or that individual in this or that condition..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/richard-wagner-7708_cheer_what-music-expresses-is-eternal-infinite_2330678.jpg" --- # What Music expresses is eternal, infinite, and ideal; she… ![“What Music expresses is eternal, infinite, and ideal; she expresses not the passion, love, desire, of this or that individual in this or that condition, but Passion, Love, Desire itself, and in such infinitely varied phases as lie in her unique possession and are foreign and unknown to any other…” quote by Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/richard-wagner-7708_cheer_what-music-expresses-is-eternal-infinite_2330678.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/richard-wagner-7708_cheer_what-music-expresses-is-eternal-infinite_2330678.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/richard-wagner-7708_cheer_what-music-expresses-is-eternal-infinite_2330678.jpg) > “What Music expresses is eternal, infinite, and ideal; she expresses not the passion, love, desire, of this or that individual in this or that condition, but Passion, Love, Desire itself, and in such infinitely varied phases as lie in her unique possession and are foreign and unknown to any other tongue...So...Here's to Victory, gained by our higher sense over the worthlessness of the vulgar! To Love, which crowns our courage...To the day, to the night!...And three cheers for Music.” [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music embodies universal passions beyond personal experience, celebrating triumph over triviality and honoring love and courage. **In simple terms:** Music shows timeless, universal feelings and celebrates victory over the mundane. Key Takeaway Embrace music’s universal power. Themes art music philosophy triumph Mood exultant reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - concerts - personal reflection - creative work - cultural events Key Concepts aesthetic universal universalism emotional expression Questions to Reflect On - How does music inspire you beyond personal feelings? - What does “victory over vulgarity” mean to you? A Different Perspective Music may not convey specific personal emotions for everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-desire/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Passion Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion-love/) [Possession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possession/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [Vulgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulgar/) [Worthlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthlessness/) ## Related quotes > [It may be in seemingly unimportant things that a man expresses his passion for perfection, yet they will count heavily in the long run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schwab/it-may-be-in-seemingly-unimportant-things-that-a-man-expresses-his/) [Charles M. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schwab/) > [Somebody who had read Lila asked me, ‘Why do you write about the problem of loneliness?’ I said: ‘It’s not a problem. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/somebody-who-had-read-lila-asked-me-why-do-you-write-about-the/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [When you write music that expresses doubt or concern, or talks about some of the darker things that a developing human goes through, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-joseph/when-you-write-music-that-expresses-doubt-or-concern-or-talks-about/) [Tyler Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-joseph/) > [Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/music-expresses-that-which-cannot-be-said-and-on-which-it-is/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/music-expresses-that-which-cannot-be-put-into-words-and-that-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Music - not just the lyrics, but the music itself - expresses confused or illicit passions: rage, lust, envy, frustration, channeling these energies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-churchwell/music-not-just-the-lyrics-but-the-music-itself-expresses-confused-or/) [Sarah Churchwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-churchwell/) > [I like music that expresses what I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludovico-einaudi/i-like-music-that-expresses-what-i-think/) [Ludovico Einaudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludovico-einaudi/) > [Music begins where words leave off. Music expresses the inexpressible. If there is a Kingdom of Heaven, it lies in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/music-begins-where-words-leave-off-music-expresses-the-inexpressible/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Music expresses what cant be said, and what is impossible to keep silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xuan-ta/music-expresses-what-cant-be-said-and-what-is-impossible-to-keep/) [Xuan Ta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xuan-ta/) > [Music expresses first of all sadness rather than joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignacy-jan-paderewski/music-expresses-first-of-all-sadness-rather-than-joy/) [Ignacy Jan Paderewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignacy-jan-paderewski/) > [Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/music-expresses-that-which-cannot-be-put-into-words-and-cannot-remain/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [As to...old composers like Schubert or Beethoven, I imagine that, while modern music expresses both feeling, thought and imagination, they expressed pure feeling. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-to-old-composers-like-schubert-or-beethoven-i-imagine-that-while/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Because music expresses all the things people can’t say, but are impossible to keep quiet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vi-keeland/because-music-expresses-all-the-things-people-can-t-say-but-are/) [Vi Keeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vi-keeland/) > [Music expresses longing and love and joy better than any piece of dialogue you can ever write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-norman/music-expresses-longing-and-love-and-joy-better-than-any-piece-of/) [Marsha Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-norman/) > [I cannot conceive of music that expresses absolutely nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-bartok/i-cannot-conceive-of-music-that-expresses-absolutely-nothing/) [Bela Bartok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-bartok/) ## More by Richard Wagner > [Joy is not in things; it is in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/joy-is-not-in-things-it-is-in-us/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [My destiny is solitude, and my life is work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/my-destiny-is-solitude-and-my-life-is-work/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [In contrast to reincarnation and karma, all other views seem petty and narrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/in-contrast-to-reincarnation-and-karma-all-other-views-seem-petty-and/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [The oldest, truest, most beautiful organ of music, the origin to which alone our music owes its being, is the human voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/the-oldest-truest-most-beautiful-organ-of-music-the-origin-to-which/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [Any so-called stimulus program is a ruse. The government can increase its spending only by reducing private spending equivalently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/any-so-called-stimulus-program-is-a-ruse-the-government-can-increase/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [I hate this fast growing tendency to chain men to machines in big factories and deprive them of all joy in their efforts -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/i-hate-this-fast-growing-tendency-to-chain-men-to-machines-in-big/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [What a wonderful work Wagner has done for humanity in translating the toil of life into the readable script of music! For those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/what-a-wonderful-work-wagner-has-done-for-humanity-in-translating-the/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [Here, everything is tragic through and through, and the will, that fain would shape a world according to its wish, at last can reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/here-everything-is-tragic-through-and-through-and-the-will-that-fain/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [The error in the art-genre of Opera consists herein: a Means of expression (Music) has been made the end, while the End of expression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/the-error-in-the-art-genre-of-opera-consists-herein-a-means-of/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [I have only a mind to live, to enjoy - i.e., to work as an artist, and produce my works; but not for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/i-have-only-a-mind-to-live-to-enjoy-i-e-to-work-as-an-artist-and/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [Richard Wagner, a musician who wrote music which is better than it sounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/richard-wagner-a-musician-who-wrote-music-which-is-better-than-it/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [...you know my faithfulness to you, never can another own my heart, never - never - never...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/you-know-my-faithfulness-to-you-never-can-another-own-my-heart-never/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [From its first faint glimmerings, History shews Man's constant progress as a beast of prey. As such he conquers every land, subdues the fruit-fed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/from-its-first-faint-glimmerings-history-shews-man-s-constant/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [When religion becomes artificial, art has a duty to rescue it. Art can show that the symbols which religions would have us believe literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/when-religion-becomes-artificial-art-has-a-duty-to-rescue-it-art-can/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [The measures and acts which show us violently disposed towards the outer world can never stay without a violent reaction on ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/the-measures-and-acts-which-show-us-violently-disposed-towards-the/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) [Explore all 83 Richard Wagner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) ## More Cheer quotes > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Hardy thinks they're cheering for him. I'm not going to tell him differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-hoeppner/hardy-thinks-they-re-cheering-for-him-i-m-not-going-to-tell-him/) Terry Hoeppner > [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [I'm neurotic in the sense that I can have a crowd of 300 people cheering you, applauding you, standing O, but one guy come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-white/i-m-neurotic-in-the-sense-that-i-can-have-a-crowd-of-300-people/) [Wayne White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-white/) > [All the people in Korea are cheering me like I'm a gold medalist or something, so I have a responsibility to my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/all-the-people-in-korea-are-cheering-me-like-i-m-a-gold-medalist-or/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) > [“Kurt smiled a shy smile. "You're just trying to cheer me up," he said. "Course I am," Andy said. "You deserve to be full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/kurt-smiled-a-shy-smile-you-re-just-trying-to-cheer-me-up-he-said/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/be-of-good-cheer-do-not-think-of-today-s-failures-but-of-the-success/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [I am, beneath everything else, a fan. I was fixed in this mode as a young boy and am awed by people who take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-beneath-everything-else-a-fan-i-was-fixed-in-this-mode-as-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [ People had been so attached to the Diane \[Cheers\] character that audiences and producers found it difficult to think of me in any other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-long/people-had-been-so-attached-to-the-diane-cheers-character-that/) [Shelley Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-long/) > [I decided very early that I was going to be a reporter, that I would not cheer for the team. I don't denigrate people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-harwell/i-decided-very-early-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-reporter-that-i-would/) [Ernie Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-harwell/) > [It's fun, and a laugh for you... you can boo me and feel happy about yourself because you're part of the crowd that did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-goodes/it-s-fun-and-a-laugh-for-you-you-can-boo-me-and-feel-happy-about/) [Adam Goodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-goodes/) > [Poetical taste is the only magician whose wand is not broken. No hand, except its own, can dissolve the fabric of beauty in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/poetical-taste-is-the-only-magician-whose-wand-is-not-broken-no-hand/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [This is no time to be precious about locating the exact individuals directly involved in this particular terrorist attack… We know who the homicidal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/this-is-no-time-to-be-precious-about-locating-the-exact-individuals/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Cheer up, you're never alone! There is probably at least 1 bug in your room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/cheer-up-you-re-never-alone-there-is-probably-at-least-1-bug-in-your/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) Browse all 1,099 Cheer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What Music expresses is eternal, infinite, and ideal; she expresses not the passion, love, desire, of this or that individual in this or that condition, but Passion, Love, Desire itself, and in such infinitely varied phases as lie in her unique possession and are foreign and unknown to any other tongue...So...Here's to Victory, gained by our higher sense over the worthlessness of the vulgar! 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