Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)

  • It was, of course, a shock to people at the time; but, the tonality was always there, waiting to be revealed.
  • Traveling, talking to people, and rehearsing, I’m always finding new ideas. If I stay in one place, maybe I won’t have so many ideas.
  • There is some limit to finding, always, new things. It’s rather impossible.
  • After so many years, I don’t really think writing has to be absolutely new. No. It has to be good work.
  • I lived through a very difficult time, in the war, and this apocalypse is coming back always. I think if I had spent my youth in another country, without the war — I think my music would be completely different, for sure. But this apocalypse — for me, inside, it is coming again and again.
  • I am always looking for some universal subject.
  • Listening to classical music is like reading philosophy books, not everybody has to do it. Music is not for everybody.