45 Quotes by Harrison Birtwistle

Composing's not voluntary, you know. There's no choice, you're not free. You're landed with an idea and you have responsibility to that idea.

When I dealt with set theory, I could never make it be the music that I wanted.

In the end it doesn’t matter what you do.

People say my music is English. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s not me writing English music, but that English music is becoming more like me.

I’m not a music lover in the sense that I look for something to have on. I’ve never had that attitude to music.

My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don’t meet. And then your friends say: It’s terrific!

I’m not an architectural composer.

You either are or you’re not.

It’s the irrational things that interest me.