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I hope my recordings of my own works won't inhibit other people's performances. The brutal fact is that one doesn't always get the exact tempo one wants, although one improves with experience.
Aaron Copland
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Copland expresses the desire for his music to inspire others rather than restrict their interpretations.

In this quote, Aaron Copland reflects on the relationship between a composer's recordings and the performances of other musicians. He acknowledges that while his recordings capture his intended tempos and nuances, he hopes they do not limit the creativity and interpretation of others. The essence of the quote highlights the balance between the fidelity of a composer's vision and the freedom of expression that performers should maintain.

Themes

MusicPerformanceInterpretationExpressionTempo

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech to encourage young musicians to find their own voice in art.

More from Aaron Copland

So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.
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Someone once asked me... whether I waited for inspiration. My answer was: "Every day!"
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To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.
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Music that is born complex is not inherently better or worse than music that is born simple.
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The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking "Is there a meaning to music?" My answer would be, "Yes", And "Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?" My answer to that would be "No."
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You compose because you want to somehow summarize in some permanent form your most basic feelings about being alive, to set down some sort of permanent statement about the way it feels to live now, today.
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