Richard Wagner Quotes - Page 3

Richard Wagner, a musician who wrote music which is better than it sounds.

True drama can be conceived only as resulting from the collective impulse of all the arts to communicate in the most immediate way with a collective public... Thus especially the art of tone, developed with such singular diversity in instrumental music, will realize in the collective artwork its richest potential -- will indeed incite the pantomimic art of dancing in turn to wholly new discoveries and inspire the breath of poetry no less to an undreamed-of fullness. For in its isolation music has formed itself an organ capable of the most immeasurable expression - the orchestra.

The most tremendous genius raised Mozart above all masters, in all centuries and in all the arts.

It is impossible to communicate with Schumann. The man is hopeless; he doesn't talk at all.

Plant life instead of animal food is the keystone of regeneration. Jesus used bread instead of flesh and wine in place of blood at the Lord's Supper.

Music truely has to all other arts the same relation as religion to the church.

I am writing Parsifal only for my wife - if I had to depend on the German spirit, I should have nothing more to say.

Achievements, seldom credited to their source, are the result of unspeakable drudgery and worries.

That even in its sharpest pangs of pain a dog can still caress its master we have learnt from the studies of vivisectors.

The long-term vision is to replace, repair and regenerate failing tissues and organs with the materials of tissues and organs. It's still 'out there,' but it's possible to put together a grant proposal now that doesn't sound completely crazy.

The error in the art-genre of Opera consists herein: a Means of expression (Music) has been made the end, while the End of expression (the Drama) has been made a means.

Any so-called stimulus program is a ruse. The government can increase its spending only by reducing private spending equivalently.

I know nothing at all about music.

From its first faint glimmerings, History shews Man's constant progress as a beast of prey. As such he conquers every land, subdues the fruit-fed races, founds mighty realms by subjugating other subjugators, forms states and sets up civilisations, to enjoy his prey at rest.

What a wonderful work Wagner has done for humanity in translating the toil of life into the readable script of music! For those who seek the tale of other worlds his magic is silent; but earth-travail under his wand becomes instinct with rhythmic song to an accompaniment of the elements, and the blare and crash of the bottomless pit itself.