Composing's not voluntary, you know. There's no choice, you're not free. You're landed with an idea and you have responsibility to that idea. Harrison Birtwistle More Quotes by Harrison Birtwistle More Quotes From Harrison Birtwistle I think music has gone through a period of something very severe, rather radical, rather the way painting did with cubism. Harrison Birtwistle gone way thinking Music is such a problem in the time it takes. Harrison Birtwistle music-is problem People say my music is English. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's not me writing English music, but that English music is becoming more like me. Harrison Birtwistle becoming writing people Minimalism now is a reaction to what came before. It's absolutely of its time. Music moved into the set theory thing, and moved out of it. Harrison Birtwistle minimalism reactions theory I'm not an architectural composer. Harrison Birtwistle composer In the end it doesn't matter what you do. Harrison Birtwistle ends matter My operas and my theatre works are very formal pieces. Harrison Birtwistle opera pieces theatre My operas usually come from musical ideas rather than ideas about subject matter. Harrison Birtwistle opera musical ideas One thing I've tried to do in writing music is take on very basic things, very archetypal things. Harrison Birtwistle basic-things music-is writing The opera tells the story with all the built-in contradictions and from many different angles. Harrison Birtwistle opera different stories I wrote music as soon as I knew notation. Harrison Birtwistle I think there are influences that you open the door to, and influences that come under the door. Harrison Birtwistle influence doors thinking There are rhythmic ideas which sometimes only work up to a point. In writing there are moments when it just comes off the page, it's not just a collection of notes. Harrison Birtwistle pages writing ideas I'm not a music lover in the sense that I look for something to have on. I've never had that attitude to music. Harrison Birtwistle alaska attitude looks When I was confronted with official tuition, the academic thing, I could see no relationship whatever between that and the music I'd been writing since I was 11. Harrison Birtwistle tuition sea writing I don't think there is much American music. Harrison Birtwistle american-music usa thinking My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don't meet. And then your friends say: It's terrific! Harrison Birtwistle writing littles attitude It's the irrational things that interest me. Harrison Birtwistle irrational interest I always write the pieces I want to write. Harrison Birtwistle pieces want writing I didn't have a record player. Harrison Birtwistle record-players records player
