Peter Maxwell Davies quotes

Peter Maxwell Davies was a renowned English composer and conductor known for his innovative and eclectic works. His music often combined modernist techniques with influences from medieval and Renaissance traditions. He became one of the most influential figures in contemporary British classical music. Here are 20 of his quotes:

The present government is very insistent that business sponsorship should replace government sponsorship of the arts. Business sponsorship won't happen unless you make tax concessions, which they won't. (Peter Maxwell Davies)

An audience shouldn't listen with complacency.

Peter Maxwell Davies

I'm obviously very keen on the theater and I think it's inevitable that some of the orchestral and chamber pieces have got dramatic elements which might even suggest an unspecified dramatic plot of some kind or other, even though it's not in my mind at the time.

Peter Maxwell Davies

If you don't get feedback from your performers and your audience, you're going to be working in a vacuum.

Peter Maxwell Davies

You can't pander to your audience. You might in the short term, but ultimately you can't hoodwink them, either.

Peter Maxwell Davies

The establishment in Britain is certainly against the arts and against education. If something doesn't make a profit, it's invalid, and art doesn't make a profit in that sense.

Peter Maxwell Davies

I'm very interested, for instance, in music in education - getting young people not only to listen to, but participate in the music that I write. I consider this one of the most vital aspects of my work.

Peter Maxwell Davies

I know what I want at least, and the older I get I think I'm better at getting it out of players and singers.

Peter Maxwell Davies

If you aim at anything lower that is expecting your audience to be really alert and aware, then you're going to be caught out sooner or later as a composer.

Peter Maxwell Davies

I'm not actually teaching any more, but I am writing pieces for schools all the time, and for kids.

Peter Maxwell Davies

At the moment, in Britain we're facing such enormous cutbacks in education programs and music programs and art programs that you feel you are knocking your head against a brick wall. (Peter Maxwell Davies)

You don't underestimate either players or audience in any circumstances.

Peter Maxwell Davies

Recently I've been participating in radio and television talk programs doing broadcasts and conferences, and shooting my mouth off and really going to town.

Peter Maxwell Davies

I recently did a piece for the Boston Pops and John Williams, and I hope that it's as well a composed piece as I've ever done for any other medium or occasion.

Peter Maxwell Davies

The demands are related to their questing of the best possible out of the people concerned. It's this going for the highest possible factor that I'm very concerned about.

Peter Maxwell Davies

I don't see how they can with most of my pieces, but I think it's unfortunate that they can through familiarity with flashy performances of a great deal of other music.

Peter Maxwell Davies

If you're writing a piece for the Boston Pops, the balance is towards one end. If you're writing a piece for a chamber music society, then it's towards another point. I won't make a final answer on that. I think it changes with every piece.

Peter Maxwell Davies

What they can expect always is that they're going to be made to think.

Peter Maxwell Davies

But you can't really know your audiences so well.

Peter Maxwell Davies

But when you get a bit older, and I hate to use the word, quite a bit more established, people take more notice and conducting becomes a great deal easier. You don't have battles like you had before.

Peter Maxwell Davies

Peter Maxwell Davies

Peter Maxwell Davies - Image

Photo: University of Salford Press Office, CC BY 2.0

Occupation: English Composer
Born: September 8, 1934
Died: March 14, 2016
Quotes count: 20