"There is a craft and a power in listening."

51 likes

Source: Commencement address at York University, Toronto, Canada, 6 Nov. 1982

About the author

Glenn Gould

Pianist

Glenn Gould was a Canadian pianist known for his innovative interpretations of classical music, particularly Bach, and his unique approach to performance.

All quotes by Glenn Gould →

Same author

More quotes by Glenn Gould

See all →
Glenn Gould Pianist

"The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but rather the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity."

Read quote
Glenn Gould Pianist

"I think that if I were required to spend the rest of my life on a desert island, and to listen to or play the music of any one composer during all that time, that composer would almost certainly be Bach."

Read quote
Glenn Gould Pianist

"I think that if I were required to spend the rest of my life on a desert island, and to listen to or play the music of any one composer during all that time, that composer would almost certainly be Bach. I really can’t think of any other music which is so all-encompassing, which moves me so deeply and so consistently, and which, to use a rather imprecise word, is valuable beyond all of its skill and brilliance for something more meaningful than that — its humanity."

Read quote
Glenn Gould Pianist

"I believe that the only excuse we have for being musicians and for making music in any fashion, is to make it differently, to perform it differently, to establish the music's difference, vis-a-vis our own difference."

Read quote