The pedal is the soul of the piano.
Anton RubinsteinRead
Pianists call me a composer, composers call me a pianist. The classicists think me a futurist, and the futurists call me a reactionary.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the complexity of identity and how individuals are perceived differently by various groups.
Anton Rubinstein's quote highlights the multifaceted nature of identity in the arts, specifically in music. It shows how a person's work can be interpreted in contrasting ways depending on the perspective of the observer, indicating that labels such as 'composer' or 'pianist' may not capture the full essence of an artist's capabilities and contributions. The differing views of classicists and futurists further illustrate this point, emphasizing that artistic expression can transcend categorization.
Themes
IdentityPerceptionArtMusicComplexity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the role of art in society, one could use this quote to illustrate the diverse interpretations of artists.
More from Anton Rubinstein
All quotes βSimilar quotes
Architects, sculptors painters, we all must return to the crafts! For art is not a 'profession.' There is no essential difference between the artist and the craftsman. The artist is an exalted craftsman.
Walter GropiusRead
Don't be too precious about your craft... there's only 26 letters and 12 notes, and Shakespeare and Beethoven said it all better than any of us ever will
David FosterRead
Writing ought either to be the manufacture of stories for which there is a market demand - a business as safe and commendable as making soap or breakfast foods - or it should be an art, which is always a search for something for which there is no market demand, something new and untried, where the values are intrinsic and have nothing to do with standardized values.
Willa CatherRead
[T]he visibility of styles is itself a product of historical consciousness. ... The very notion of "style" needs to be approached historically. Awareness of style as a problematic and isolable element in a work of art has emerged in the audience for art only at certain historical moments - as a front behind which other issues, ultimately ethical and political, are being debated.
Susan SontagRead
Through art alone are we able to emerge from ourselves, to know what another person sees of a universe which is not the same as our own and of which, without art, the landscapes would remain as unknown to us as those that may exist on the moon.
Marcel ProustRead
When I'm directing a movie, nothing else matters.
Richard AttenboroughRead