Quotes about Music

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General Quotes   Aaron Copland : The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes'. Can you state in so many words what the meaning is? My answer to that would be, 'No'. Shakespeare: Is it not strange that sheeps' guts should hale souls out of men's bodies. Enrique de Valderrabano: Among the creatures of the earth, God placed music with the greatest reason and perfection in man, and among stringed instruments in the Vihuela. Father Mersenne: A lute player can do anything he pleases with his instrument. For instance he can demonstrate the geometric and harmonic means, the squaring of the circle, the proportianate movements of the heavens and the celestial bodies or of the speeds of falling weights; all these and a thousand other things. Yehudi Menuhin after a Rolling Stones concert: If you took an electric drill or a pile driver, tuned it so that it sounded a note, amplified it a hundred times and then played it over a public square, it would sound to the people forced to live nearby much as this concert sounded to me. Sherlock Holmes: Hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for half an hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellowmen. A Dedication   Getting published isn't always easy. Francisco Guerau's book of guitar music, Poema Harmonico (Harmonic Poem, published in Spain in 1694) contains the following dedication (English translation from Janis M. Stevenson's master's thesis: A Transcription of Poema Harmonico by Francisco Guerau for Baroque Guitar, San Jose State University, June 1974). TO THE KING AND LORD D. Carlos II May God Save Him Whoever has a book printed usually selects a great hero to dedicate it to in order to obtain protection and credits for his work and for his own interest because of affection, obligation, or duty. I concurred, that because of my gratefulness, and pride in being Chaplain and vassal to your Majesty, I elected the Royal Benevolence for the protection of this brief work, which demonstrates my little skill. This I put at the royal feet of your Majesty, trusting that with generous spirit you will not scorn the small gift, but take into account the great esteem and wishes of he who offers it to you: For he who burns useless and weak straws at the Altar of love, would offer precious incense if he had great amounts of it. In the dedication, it is common to exaggerate in praising the virtue of the Royal Benevolence, but the Divine Providence has freed your Majesty from such actions. Praising you (with my inadequacy and ignorance) might tarnish your greatness and such an idle action is like pondering on the whiteness of snow or the brightness of the sun, for nobody doubts that your Majesty (may God save you), represents the Sun of this Monarchy. Also as Lord, and Head of the Magnificent House of Austria, you abound in lights to give luster and splendor to all of the crowns of Europe. Religion, piety, zealousness, and all the other virtues that adorn your Majesty are well known, thus avoiding adulation and flattery, what I am asking for and wish, in making this small gift to your Majesty, is to show my affection and my services whenever possible. I also hope to obtain the greatest credit for this book, for with such supreme patronage, I am sure that it will receive more praise and esteem than it is worth. I beg your Majesty to receive it under your protection since it is from your loyal servant who for thirty-five years has served you, and who begs God to bestow upon you prudence and health for many centuries, which will increase your virtues and long succession. I wish this, as all of your vassals wish, and Christianity has need of. Lord The most loyal and fervent vassal and sincere chaplain Francisco Guerau Don Carlos must have approved (despite the avoidance of "adulation and flattery"), and Dr. Alonso Portillo y Cardos, the Vicar of Madrid, and his committee also inspected the manuscript and found "...nothing in it against our Holy Catholic Faith".