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About this quote

What does it mean?
Great music withstands poor performance and amateur interpretation. It is inherently robust.
In plain terms
Real great music survives even bad playing.
What can you take from it?
Aim for compositions that endure despite execution.

Where it applies

  • teaching
  • composition
  • performance critique

Putting it to work

  • write strong melodies
  • avoid over-reliance on nuance
  • test with different tempos

Questions to consider

  • What makes music endure?
  • Should music be easy or hard to play?

Another view

Some subtle works require precise performance to shine.

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