"In my music you can hear silence."
This quote by John Tavener implies that his compositions incorporate not just sound, but also a profound sense of silence or stillness. In essence, he suggests that in listening to his music, one experiences the presence of quietude and emptiness, which are as essential elements as the audible notes themselves. This interpretation reflects Tavener's spiritual perspective on composition, where the sacred, transcendent dimension of silence is given equal importance alongside sound.
"Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret places of the soul and attunes the mind to make contact with the eternal."
This quote by John Tavener emphasizes the powerful, spiritual nature of music. He suggests that music has a unique ability to access deep, inner realms of the human psyche, and to facilitate connection with something beyond our everyday experiences - the eternal or divine. Music is seen as a universal language that transcends conventional communication, allowing us to communicate on a deeper, more profound level.
"I feel that I am a servant of God who has been given an extraordinary gift and privilege: to create music that can touch and heal people, to make them aware of their own souls."
This quote by John Tavener suggests that he views his gift for creating music as a sacred responsibility, one that allows him to connect with people on an emotional and spiritual level. By composing music, he feels he can evoke awareness of individuals' inner selves and help them heal, transcending the ordinary world. Thus, his art serves both as a divine gift and a means for human transformation and healing.
"Music is the wine which lifts the spirit of a man."
This quote by John Tavener suggests that music, like wine, has the power to elevate human spirits, bringing joy, inspiration, and a sense of transcendence. It implies that music's impact on people is profound and uplifting, making it a vital element in our lives.
"My work does not belong to me, it belongs to God, who inspired it and gave it to me."
This quote suggests that composer John Tavener perceived his creative works as divine inspirations, rather than personal achievements or intellectual property. He acknowledges that the source of his music is not himself but a higher power, which he refers to as "God". This view underscores a sense of humility and faith in a greater force guiding his artistic process. It also highlights the spiritual dimension present in Tavener's compositions.
When I talk of primordial innocence, I hear it in Sufi music with the nay flute. I see it in Coptic icons, in most traditional art, particularly art of the American Indian. I find the texts extraordinarily beautiful and very childlike and very simple. I've been particularly interested in American Indian texts.
- John Tavener
The music is something outside myself that's also inside myself... Music and a sense of another presence always went hand in hand. Even when I was three, I would improvise music, and my maternal grandfather would act as an audience and used to applaud. I would imitate things like thunder and rain.
- John Tavener
We seem to have lost our contact with the primordial: the idea of - call it divine revelation as opposed to something that's learned by the human intellect - something that, if you lay yourself completely open, and you just open your heart completely, something will actually come into it.
- John Tavener
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