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Saturday, February 28, 2015

Charles Ives Quotes



CHARLES IVES
October 20, 1874 – May 19, 1954
American classical composer,
also co-founder of the insurance firm
Ives and Myrick
A rare experience of a moment at daybreak,
when something in nature seems
to reveal all consciousness,
cannot be explained at noon.
Yet it is part of the day's unity.
Awards are merely the badges of mediocrity.
But maybe music was not intended to satisfy
the curious definiteness of man.
Maybe it is better to hope that music
may always be transcendental language
in the most extravagant sense.
Every great inspiration is but an experiment.
The possibilities of percussion sounds,
I believe, have never been fully realized. 
In 'thinking up' music
I usually have some kind of a brass band
with wings on it in back of my mind.
It is conceivable
that what is unified form to the author or composer
may of necessity be formless to his audience.
The fabric of existence weaves itself whole.
But maybe music was not intended
to satisfy the curious definiteness of man.
Maybe it is better to hope
that music may always be
transcendental language
in the most extravagant sense.
There can be nothing exclusive
about substantial art.
It comes directly out
of the heart of the experience of life
and thinking about life and living life.
Vagueness is at times an indication
of nearness to a perfect truth.
You cannot set art off in a corner
and hope for it to have
vitality, reality, and substance.
The word 'beauty' is as easy to use
as the word 'degenerate.' 
Both come in handy
when one does or does not agree with you.
Memories: (A) Very Pleasant; (B) Rather Sad.
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