--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But classical music is not entertainment…" description: "\"But classical music is not entertainment, and I feel viciously strong about that. Classical music is forever. Entertainment is something that is here t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/van-cliburn-42338_classical_but-classical-music-is-not-entertainment_1969626.jpg" --- # But classical music is not entertainment, and I feel… ![“But classical music is not entertainment, and I feel viciously strong about that. Classical music is forever. Entertainment is something that is here today, and may be gone tomorrow.” quote by Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/van-cliburn-42338_classical_but-classical-music-is-not-entertainment_1969626.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/van-cliburn-42338_classical_but-classical-music-is-not-entertainment_1969626.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/van-cliburn-42338_classical_but-classical-music-is-not-entertainment_1969626.jpg) > “But classical music is not entertainment, and I feel viciously strong about that. Classical music is forever. Entertainment is something that is here today, and may be gone tomorrow.” [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Classical music is presented as timeless art, while entertainment is fleeting; the speaker values enduring artistic merit over temporary amusement. **In simple terms:** Classical music endures; entertainment is temporary. Key Takeaway Prioritize lasting art over fleeting fun. Themes music philosophy culture values Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - concert programming - music education - personal listening habits - cultural policy Key Concepts Timelessness ephemeral trends artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - What role should entertainment play in modern culture? - How can classical music stay relevant today? A Different Perspective Focusing only on timelessness may ignore contemporary relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Classical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical/) [Classical music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical-music/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) ## Related quotes > [It drives me crazy when people say, "All we're trying to do is create entertainment." I feel like people go to movies for more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arndt/it-drives-me-crazy-when-people-say-all-we-re-trying-to-do-is-create/) [Michael Arndt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arndt/) > [I could have never had any kind of creative freedom on TV, so then I did movies! Now, I am able to do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ekta-kapoor/i-could-have-never-had-any-kind-of-creative-freedom-on-tv-so-then-i/) [Ekta Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ekta-kapoor/) > [I view music as entertainment. When I'm on stage, I don't look at that as a platform for sharing ideology. Otherwise I'd be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/i-view-music-as-entertainment-when-i-m-on-stage-i-don-t-look-at-that/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Music is the one part of the entertainment business where you can't fool anybody into buying a record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nile-rodgers/music-is-the-one-part-of-the-entertainment-business-where-you-can-t/) [Nile Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nile-rodgers/) > [I used to like to set different film clips to classical music, not even my own songs, but make little movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-used-to-like-to-set-different-film-clips-to-classical-music-not/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [It wasn't until I found my tribe of artists - people who were outspoken and not afraid to say what they thought, whether in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cote-de-pablo/it-wasn-t-until-i-found-my-tribe-of-artists-people-who-were-outspoken/) [Cote de Pablo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cote-de-pablo/) > [I studied classical music for a long time, maybe 10 years, and I realized finally I was never going to have the hands to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-russell/i-studied-classical-music-for-a-long-time-maybe-10-years-and-i/) [Leon Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-russell/) > [Classical music has become rarefied, like a maiden aunt that nobody wants to talk to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/classical-music-has-become-rarefied-like-a-maiden-aunt-that-nobody/) [Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/) > [I was able to turn to classical music many people, who saw my programs live and on YouTube, and this is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksey-igudesman/i-was-able-to-turn-to-classical-music-many-people-who-saw-my-programs/) [Aleksey Igudesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksey-igudesman/) > [Kolkata is a musical city. What I like about people here is the lack of diplomacy. Some of the best Indian classical musicians belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukhwinder-singh/kolkata-is-a-musical-city-what-i-like-about-people-here-is-the-lack/) [Sukhwinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukhwinder-singh/) > [I know this will blow your mind, but most people would probably never ever get it, but I listen to classical music when nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/i-know-this-will-blow-your-mind-but-most-people-would-probably-never/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) > [I love Adele and Lykke Li. I also listen to classical music as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdy/i-love-adele-and-lykke-li-i-also-listen-to-classical-music-as-well/) [Birdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdy/) > [I listen to classical music very much. There's a lot of jazz that I don't enjoy listening to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-konitz/i-listen-to-classical-music-very-much-there-s-a-lot-of-jazz-that-i/) [Lee Konitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-konitz/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/) [Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/) ## More by Van Cliburn > [An artist can be truly evaluated only after he is dead. At the very 11th hour, he might do something that will eclipse everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/an-artist-can-be-truly-evaluated-only-after-he-is-dead-at-the-very/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [An artist can only be evaluated after he's dead. At the 11th hour he might do something that will eclipse everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/an-artist-can-only-be-evaluated-after-he-s-dead-at-the-11th-hour-he/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [Music is like painting in sound. You take it into your inner heart and never lose it. It's eternally mysterious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/music-is-like-painting-in-sound-you-take-it-into-your-inner-heart-and/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [If you hold onto the beauty and inspiration and the clarity that is music, you will have an anchor, you will not be too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/if-you-hold-onto-the-beauty-and-inspiration-and-the-clarity-that-is/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [I'm not a success, I'm a sensation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/i-m-not-a-success-i-m-a-sensation/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [The brick of my life is music, but the mortar is faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/the-brick-of-my-life-is-music-but-the-mortar-is-faith/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [The Steinway piano - with its beauty and power - is the perfect medium for expressing the performer's art, drama and poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/the-steinway-piano-with-its-beauty-and-power-is-the-perfect-medium/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [Everything I chose, I had already played in concert. For the competition, I wanted to pick pieces I know that people like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/everything-i-chose-i-had-already-played-in-concert-for-the/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) > [I have never known anyone from Texas, no matter how far they go or what they do, who isn't proud of being from Texas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-cliburn/i-have-never-known-anyone-from-texas-no-matter-how-far-they-go-or/) [Van Cliburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) [Explore all 10 Van Cliburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-cliburn/) ## More Classical quotes > [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/) [Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. 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I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [I studied classical opera, so I was always singing in Italian and German and French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-leehom/i-studied-classical-opera-so-i-was-always-singing-in-italian-and/) [Wang Leehom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-leehom/) > [I listen to classical music very much. There's a lot of jazz that I don't enjoy listening to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-konitz/i-listen-to-classical-music-very-much-there-s-a-lot-of-jazz-that-i/) [Lee Konitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-konitz/) > [But if you listen to great piano players, both classical and jazz, there's a huge range of dynamics and colors and emotional expression that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-burton/but-if-you-listen-to-great-piano-players-both-classical-and-jazz/) [Gary Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-burton/) > [I would say 'Home' is a lot richer and deeper than my earlier classical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/i-would-say-home-is-a-lot-richer-and-deeper-than-my-earlier-classical/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) > [“For eyes we have no models in the remotely antique.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/for-eyes-we-have-no-models-in-the-remotely-antique/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [First of all, we have to go back to the classical time control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-karpov/first-of-all-we-have-to-go-back-to-the-classical-time-control/) [Anatoly Karpov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-karpov/) > [Well, I very rarely watch classical adaptations, because they usually do very good books, and a lot of the things they do... I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marsh/well-i-very-rarely-watch-classical-adaptations-because-they-usually/) [Jean Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marsh/) > [I like to incorporate classical songs that people know and throw a beat and some guitars on it to make it real crazy. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/i-like-to-incorporate-classical-songs-that-people-know-and-throw-a/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [I love Adele and Lykke Li. I also listen to classical music as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdy/i-love-adele-and-lykke-li-i-also-listen-to-classical-music-as-well/) [Birdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdy/) > [Andres Segovia, the great name for guitar, he put classical guitar on the map. He was the proponent of it, the best in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/andres-segovia-the-great-name-for-guitar-he-put-classical-guitar-on/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [I did stand-up for a long time, and I did classical theater. As much time as you could spend on a stage will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-did-stand-up-for-a-long-time-and-i-did-classical-theater-as-much/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) [Browse all 601 Classical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But classical music is not entertainment, and I feel viciously strong about that. Classical music is forever. 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