--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am under no illusion that I will ever…" description: "\"I am under no illusion that I will ever be the greatest opera composer in the world, with Wagner and Verdi and Strauss before me. I think my work could..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/rufus-wainwright-2260_composer_i-am-under-no-illusion-that-i-will-ever_3086865.png" --- # I am under no illusion that I will ever be the greatest… ![“I am under no illusion that I will ever be the greatest opera composer in the world, with Wagner and Verdi and Strauss before me. I think my work could fit very nicely into musicals, though.” quote by Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/rufus-wainwright-2260_composer_i-am-under-no-illusion-that-i-will-ever_3086865.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/rufus-wainwright-2260_composer_i-am-under-no-illusion-that-i-will-ever_3086865.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/rufus-wainwright-2260_composer_i-am-under-no-illusion-that-i-will-ever_3086865.png) > “I am under no illusion that I will ever be the greatest opera composer in the world, with Wagner and Verdi and Strauss before me. I think my work could fit very nicely into musicals, though.” [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He acknowledges his limits in opera but sees potential for his work in musical theater. **In simple terms:** Accept limits, explore new paths. Key Takeaway Embrace new creative avenues. Themes creativity humility adaptation Mood hopeful reflective Type artistic inspirational When to use this quote - opera auditions - musical theater projects - collaborations - self‑assessment Key Concepts music composition career evolution Questions to Reflect On - What new medium could suit your talents? - How do you balance ambition with realism? A Different Perspective Success in one field doesn’t guarantee success in another. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Greatest Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-opera-2745532/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Opera Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera-composer-582445/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Verdi Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verdi-strauss-5290031/) [Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wagner/) [Wagner Verdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wagner-verdi-5290032/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I've always gravitated towards opera, and the Royal Opera House is quite possibly the greatest opera house on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-ve-always-gravitated-towards-opera-and-the-royal-opera-house-is/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I didn't grow up imagining myself as an opera composer. Only once in my entire adolescence did I attend an opera. I went and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-didn-t-grow-up-imagining-myself-as-an-opera-composer-only-once-in/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [My greatest experiences in the theatre and the most religious experiences in my life - of which going to the opera is one for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/my-greatest-experiences-in-the-theatre-and-the-most-religious/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [Any subject is good for opera if the composer feels it so intently he must sing it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-menotti/any-subject-is-good-for-opera-if-the-composer-feels-it-so-intently-he/) [Gian Carlo Menotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-menotti/) > [A review of his work: His music soon spread throughout Europe, and he was invited to America were he performed the Piano Concerto. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottorino-respighi/a-review-of-his-work-his-music-soon-spread-throughout-europe-and-he/) [Ottorino Respighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottorino-respighi/) > [Wagner is a composer who has beautiful moments but awful quarter hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gioachino-rossini/wagner-is-a-composer-who-has-beautiful-moments-but-awful-quarter-hours/) [Gioachino Rossini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gioachino-rossini/) > [The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working. Beethoven, Wagner, Bach and Mozart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-newman/the-great-composer-does-not-set-to-work-because-he-is-inspired-but/) [Ernest Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-newman/) > [ One day he \[Wagner\] was batting against a young pitcher who had just come into the league. The catcher was a kid, too .… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burleigh-grimes/one-day-he-wagner-was-batting-against-a-young-pitcher-who-had-just/) [Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burleigh-grimes/) > [They see me all the time at Bayreuth and think I only like Wagner's music, and it's not true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joachim-sauer/they-see-me-all-the-time-at-bayreuth-and-think-i-only-like-wagner-s/) [Joachim Sauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joachim-sauer/) > [I dig Strauss and Wagner. Those cats are good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/i-dig-strauss-and-wagner-those-cats-are-good/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [I love Italian opera - it's so reckless. Damn Wagner, and his bellowings at Fate and death. Damn Debussy, and his averted face. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/i-love-italian-opera-it-s-so-reckless-damn-wagner-and-his-bellowings/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [As any opera fan knows, lawyers and judges do not fare well in most operas. Just consider the productions of 'Andrea Chenier,' 'Aida, Norma,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/as-any-opera-fan-knows-lawyers-and-judges-do-not-fare-well-in-most/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > [“She's sweet on Wagner. I think she'd die for Beethoven. she loves the way Puccini lays down a tune, and Verdi's always creeping from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/electric-light-orchestra/she-s-sweet-on-wagner-i-think-she-d-die-for-beethoven-she-loves-the/) [Electric Light Orchestra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/electric-light-orchestra/) > [Ah! My dear friend painting is to us what the music of Berlioz and Wagner was before us - a consolatory art for sore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/ah-my-dear-friend-painting-is-to-us-what-the-music-of-berlioz-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Up to the age of 14 I had not heard a note of anything before 1750, never heard a note of Bach, never heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/up-to-the-age-of-14-i-had-not-heard-a-note-of-anything-before-1750/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) ## More by Rufus Wainwright > [I have an ounce of Lady Gaga's full-bodied ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-have-an-ounce-of-lady-gaga-s-full-bodied-ambition/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I definitely consider 'Poses' - the whole album in fact - to be kind of a miracle. Like the last breath of that moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-definitely-consider-poses-the-whole-album-in-fact-to-be-kind-of-a/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [You know the question: 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall?' Answer: 'Practise?' Well, in my case, I got there by not practising. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/you-know-the-question-how-do-you-get-to-carnegie-hall-answer-practise/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I've had my ups and downs, and I definitely have a sense - in America, especially - that once you've made your mark and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-ve-had-my-ups-and-downs-and-i-definitely-have-a-sense-in-america/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I'll always be a boulevardier. I have an extreme reverence and romantic longing for all that is decrepit and fatalistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-ll-always-be-a-boulevardier-i-have-an-extreme-reverence-and/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I'm very blessed, mainly because even though my family is mostly in show business, it's really centered around music. My parents were very successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-m-very-blessed-mainly-because-even-though-my-family-is-mostly-in/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [Growing up, for years and years I had no idea what the plots of operas were, and that's part of what fascinated me -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/growing-up-for-years-and-years-i-had-no-idea-what-the-plots-of-operas/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [Once illness strikes, you realize there's not a lot of time for you to do what you really need to do. And there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/once-illness-strikes-you-realize-there-s-not-a-lot-of-time-for-you-to/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I basically have needed to go to the piano and give voice periodically to, you know - I'm always afraid to describe it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-basically-have-needed-to-go-to-the-piano-and-give-voice/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [And you will believe in love And all that it's supposed to be But just until the fish start to smell And you're struck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/and-you-will-believe-in-love-and-all-that-it-s-supposed-to-be-but/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [It's about how whenever I fall in love, I have these expectations of the experience being a perfect dream, which, of course, ruins it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/it-s-about-how-whenever-i-fall-in-love-i-have-these-expectations-of/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [Crazy as it sounds, I'm a believer in destiny and serendipity, and I have had cosmic experiences all my life. Something told me I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/crazy-as-it-sounds-i-m-a-believer-in-destiny-and-serendipity-and-i/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I think everybody identified at a pretty young age that I was fairly entranced with myself. And that I had to be tempered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-think-everybody-identified-at-a-pretty-young-age-that-i-was-fairly/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [The song is about knowing the end result of every situation you're in, and being able to play it out in your mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/the-song-is-about-knowing-the-end-result-of-every-situation-you-re-in/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I like to make the mundane fabulous whenever I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-like-to-make-the-mundane-fabulous-whenever-i-can/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) [Explore all 176 Rufus Wainwright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) ## More Composer quotes > [A composer knows that music is written by human beings for human beings and that music is a continuation of life, not something separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanns-eisler/a-composer-knows-that-music-is-written-by-human-beings-for-human/) [Hanns Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanns-eisler/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [Trombone virtuoso and innovative composer, Papo combines the best of jazz and Latin music to create a genre that is unique and wild. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brecker/trombone-virtuoso-and-innovative-composer-papo-combines-the-best-of/) [Michael Brecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-brecker/) > [“- Mom, can I tell them there that I'm Romanian? - Sure, why not tell them? - I was thinking that they wouldn't think...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-enescu/mom-can-i-tell-them-there-that-i-m-romanian-sure-why-not-tell-them-i/) [George Enescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-enescu/) > [The number of e-mails and letters that I get from choreographers, from sculptors, from composers who are being inspired by science is huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-number-of-e-mails-and-letters-that-i-get-from-choreographers-from/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [If a composer could state in words what being a composer means, he would no longer need to be a composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-rorem/if-a-composer-could-state-in-words-what-being-a-composer-means-he/) [Ned Rorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-rorem/) > [Seen from the point of view of the composer, the most nonsensical practice is that of casting people in musicals who are unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gold/seen-from-the-point-of-view-of-the-composer-the-most-nonsensical/) [Ernest Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-gold/) > [I think there's just been this "thing" that's developed, this way that we have of talking about our music that alienates people. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-mazzoli/i-think-there-s-just-been-this-thing-that-s-developed-this-way-that/) [Missy Mazzoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-mazzoli/) > [The ability to understand and deliver comedy and tragedy is extremely rare in one composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/signe-baumane/the-ability-to-understand-and-deliver-comedy-and-tragedy-is-extremely/) [Signe Baumane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/signe-baumane/) > [When synthesizers appeared everyone was a composer suddenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/when-synthesizers-appeared-everyone-was-a-composer-suddenly/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [A mission that comes from the heart to promote these things and to encourage composers to write, then of course they should do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-hamelin/a-mission-that-comes-from-the-heart-to-promote-these-things-and-to/) [Marc-Andre Hamelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-hamelin/) > [The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-beauty-and-genius-of-a-work-of-art-may-be-reconceived-though-its/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [Every time I see a film or TV show, I think about how that composer made those choices and how that director envisioned music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/every-time-i-see-a-film-or-tv-show-i-think-about-how-that-composer/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [Like any other composer of opera, I choose a subject not for polemical reasons, but because it contains vivid characters in highly charged dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlisle-floyd/like-any-other-composer-of-opera-i-choose-a-subject-not-for-polemical/) [Carlisle Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlisle-floyd/) [Browse all 885 Composer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am under no illusion that I will ever be the greatest opera composer in the world, with Wagner and Verdi and Strauss before me. 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