--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important thing to remember is…" description: "\"The most important thing to remember is that the composer is a senior partner. You cannot force a subject on a composer if it doesn't inspire him. He h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/terry-teachout-20913_accepting_the-most-important-thing-to-remember-is_1563433.png" --- # The most important thing to remember is that the composer… ![“The most important thing to remember is that the composer is a senior partner. You cannot force a subject on a composer if it doesn't inspire him. He has to take the lead, you are an enabler, and you are creating the enabling conditions under which he can write great music. Your words are…” quote by Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/terry-teachout-20913_accepting_the-most-important-thing-to-remember-is_1563433.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/terry-teachout-20913_accepting_the-most-important-thing-to-remember-is_1563433.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/terry-teachout-20913_accepting_the-most-important-thing-to-remember-is_1563433.png) > “The most important thing to remember is that the composer is a senior partner. You cannot force a subject on a composer if it doesn't inspire him. He has to take the lead, you are an enabler, and you are creating the enabling conditions under which he can write great music. Your words are secondary. Many librettists in opera collaborations in the past have forgotten this, or not known it, or refuse to accept it and tried to get out in front of the creative process and it just doesn't work that way.” [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The composer must lead creatively; the librettist should support, not dominate, the artistic process. **In simple terms:** Composer leads, librettist supports. Key Takeaway Let the composer guide the music. Themes collaboration creativity leadership Mood reflective respectful Type advice process When to use this quote - opera production - libretto writing - creative teamwork Key Concepts artistic hierarchy creative autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can a librettist best enable a composer? - What boundaries help maintain creative balance? A Different Perspective If the librettist tries to control the music, the work may feel forced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Collaboration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaboration/) [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Composer Senior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer-senior-5869721/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) [Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/) [Great music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-music/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Inspire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspire/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Opera Collaborations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera-collaborations-5869719/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Secondary Librettists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secondary-librettists-5869722/) [Senior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senior/) [Subject Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject-composer-5869720/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Her mother said that three great powers kept the universe going. 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I'm trying to fit in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-moore/memphis-is-a-great-town-man-there-s-a-great-musical-community-here-i/) [Charles Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-moore/) > [People tell me not to live in the past BUT, That's where all the cool cars and great music is from !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/people-tell-me-not-to-live-in-the-past-but-that-s-where-all-the-cool/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [A great song is a great song, whether it's on vinyl or CD or cassette or reel to reel or mp3. Then again, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/a-great-song-is-a-great-song-whether-it-s-on-vinyl-or-cd-or-cassette/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [The music changed. We had Irving Berlin and Gershwin and Lerner and Loewe and Cole Porter. Great music. 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I tend to agree with their album reviews and find their interviews a bit more intriguing than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-hest/paste-is-a-great-music-lover-s-resource-i-tend-to-agree-with-their/) [Ari Hest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-hest/) > [Rev Run is a living legend of Hip-Hop, who's still making great music, but now he's also the dad to an amazing family, ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-disanto/rev-run-is-a-living-legend-of-hip-hop-who-s-still-making-great-music/) [Tony DiSanto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-disanto/) > [I think that there's always great music being made. Always has been, always will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/i-think-that-there-s-always-great-music-being-made-always-has-been/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [I did a concert... in September with the Berlin Philharmonic... They're great musicians, and there's always something to learn from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-bartoli/i-did-a-concert-in-september-with-the-berlin-philharmonic-they-re/) [Cecilia Bartoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecilia-bartoli/) > [I didn't want to be precious about things. Of course, the idea is to make great music, but if you have great musicians up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-didn-t-want-to-be-precious-about-things-of-course-the-idea-is-to/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) ## More by Terry Teachout > [“One of the advantages of no longer being young is that you're expected to start making up your mind about certain things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/one-of-the-advantages-of-no-longer-being-young-is-that-you-re/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [And Paul Moravec, not being a theater person, would always trust me when I said things that I am like, "you're going to need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/and-paul-moravec-not-being-a-theater-person-would-always-trust-me/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [Direction is the most invisible part of the theatrical art. 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Is it easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/i-had-a-checklist-in-my-mind-of-the-things-that-make-a-biography/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [Virgil Thomson, the great classical music critic, who was also a composer, but said that criticism was the only antidote he knew to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/virgil-thomson-the-great-classical-music-critic-who-was-also-a/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [Whether early or late, the Parker novels are all superlative literary entertainments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/whether-early-or-late-the-parker-novels-are-all-superlative-literary/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [I know that luck has a way of happening to people who shoot high, who never sell themselves short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/i-know-that-luck-has-a-way-of-happening-to-people-who-shoot-high-who/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [It's actually now, more common to see conceptual productions of Shakespearian, which Hamlet is played as a Nazi, or a homosexual, or whatever concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/it-s-actually-now-more-common-to-see-conceptual-productions-of/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [(R)eality TV (is) a medium dedicated to the proposition that with the help of judicious editing, carefully chosen half-wits can hold the attention of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/r-eality-tv-is-a-medium-dedicated-to-the-proposition-that-with-the/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [If I ever see another Shakespeare production where somebody drives a Jeep on stage, I'm going to run screaming up the aisle. These tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/if-i-ever-see-another-shakespeare-production-where-somebody-drives-a/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [The problem with the Jude Law "Hamlet" was simply that it wasn't unpredictable, that it was a very down-the-center modern production. You wouldn't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/the-problem-with-the-jude-law-hamlet-was-simply-that-it-wasn-t/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [A critic should always strive to recapture the sense of wonder and surprise with which he first beheld a now-familiar work of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/a-critic-should-always-strive-to-recapture-the-sense-of-wonder-and/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [I've always loved opera; it never occurred to me that I would write a proper libretto. One of my closest friends is a composer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/i-ve-always-loved-opera-it-never-occurred-to-me-that-i-would-write-a/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) > [I should also mention that the Neue Galerie is piping music into the galleries where "Klee and America" is hanging, a practice for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/i-should-also-mention-that-the-neue-galerie-is-piping-music-into-the/) [Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) [Explore all 30 Terry Teachout quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [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/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. 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Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most important thing to remember is that the composer is a senior partner. You cannot force a subject on a composer if it doesn't inspire him. He has to take the lead, you are an enabler, and you are creating the enabling conditions under which he can write great music. Your words are secondary. 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