Quotes By Edgard Varese

An artist is never ahead of his time but most people are far behind theirs.

I was not influenced by composers as much as by natural objects and physical phenomena.

I dream of instruments obedient to my thought and which with their contribution of a whole new world of unsuspected sounds, will lend themselves to the exigencies of my inner rhythm.

Our musical alphabet is poor and illogical.

There is an idea, the basis of an internal structure, expanded and split into different shapes or groups of sound constantly changing in shape, direction, and speed, attracted and repulsed by various forces.

Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes.

I have just begun a work in which an important part is given to a large chorus and with it I want to use several of your instruments - augmenting their range as in those I used for my Equatorial - especially in the high range.

Music, which should pulsate with life, needs new means of expression, and science alone can infuse it with youthful vigor.

I don't want to write any more for the old Man-power instruments and am handicapped by the lack of adequate electrical instruments for which I now conceive my music.

Music is organized sound.