To have the ability to withdraw into oneself and forget everything around one when one is creating - What, I think is the only requirement for being able to bring forth something beautiful. The whole thing is - a mystery.
Artists like Bach and Beethoven erected churches and temples on the heights. I only wantedto build dwellings for men in which they might feel happy and at home
Interpretation
What this quote means
Grieg emphasizes the role of artists in creating spaces that foster human comfort and happiness, rather than elevating their work to the status of grand monuments.
In this quote, Edvard Grieg expresses his belief that art should serve the needs of everyday people by creating environments where they can feel comfortable and joyful. Unlike the monumental works of composers like Bach and Beethoven, which are often seen as lofty and spiritual, Grieg's aspiration is to provide a sense of belonging and warmth through his music, emphasizing the importance of accessibility in art and its ability to enrich the lives of ordinary individuals.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech at an art exhibition to highlight the purpose of art.
More from Edvard Grieg
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I try to have each book be an antidote to the one before.
Which painting in the National Gallery would I save if there was a fire? The one nearest the door of course.
My clothes have a story. They have an identity. They have a character and a purpose. That's why they become classics. Because they keep on telling a story. They are still telling it.
The only time I have a good hunch the audience is going to be there is when I make the sequel to 'Jurassic Park' or I make another Indiana Jones movie. I know I've got a good shot at getting an audience on opening night. Everything else that is striking out into new territory is a crap shoot.
I wish you could see the two cats drowsing side by side in a Victorian nursing chair, their paws, their ears, their tails complementarily adjusted, their blue eyes blinking open on a single thought of when I shall remember it's their supper time. They might have been composed by Bach for two flutes.
A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself . . . with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions.