It isn't false modesty when I say this, but although I am supposed to be a famous person it doesn't mean anything to me. I just sit at home and work. Gyorgy Ligeti More Quotes by Gyorgy Ligeti More Quotes From Gyorgy Ligeti Now there is no taboo; everything is allowed. But one cannot simply go back to tonality, it’s not the way. We must find a way of neither going back nor continuing the avant-garde. I am in a prison: one wall is the avant-garde, the other wall is the past, and I want to escape. Gyorgy Ligeti escaping wall past Stravinsky used Mother Goose. He was influenced by Mother Goose, indirectly, but very beautifully Gyorgy Ligeti stravinsky used mother Then, after the war it was impossible to travel, after so many years of Hitler and Stalin. Gyorgy Ligeti war years travel I only want to give a metaphysic for my music. Gyorgy Ligeti want giving I continued to study Math and Physics on my own, but one and a half years later I realized that I did want to be a composer, and after that I never changed my mind. Gyorgy Ligeti mind math years But if you go from Moscow to Budapest you think you are in Paris. Gyorgy Ligeti moscow paris thinking Well I live in Vienna with my wife and son, and I teach in Hamburg, there will be no changes in that respect. Gyorgy Ligeti vienna wife son I don't read such boring things. Life is too short. Gyorgy Ligeti boring too-short life Perhaps the better word is emotional yes, I am an emotional man Gyorgy Ligeti emotional men I think it was when I was nineteen, by that time the Jewish laws were already in force and the split was beginning to come about which isolated the Jewish culture. Gyorgy Ligeti nineteen law thinking When I was younger I was completely without money - when I was studying in Budapest, when I was a refugee Gyorgy Ligeti budapest refugee study I write bars, for the musicians, because they have to be together. Gyorgy Ligeti musician together writing Yes, fractals are what I want to find in my music. Gyorgy Ligeti fractals music want I think a composer is always interested in his last work. Gyorgy Ligeti composer lasts thinking There is a wonderful Hungarian literature, especially in lyric poetry. Gyorgy Ligeti lyric-poetry literature wonderful First of all I listen to music. I like music. Gyorgy Ligeti listening-to-music firsts I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided. Gyorgy Ligeti decided knows writing I like to stay home and listen to recordings. Gyorgy Ligeti home New York is the dream world, the center of jazz and rock Gyorgy Ligeti rocks new-york dream Once, in London, the BBC asked me what was my favorite English book. I said Alice in Wonderland Gyorgy Ligeti wonderland london book