Alfred Schnittke

“The goal of my life is to unify 'E' (Ernst, serious) and 'U' (Unterhaltung, entertainment), even if I break my neck in the process.”

“I set down a beautiful chord on paper... and suddenly it rusts.”

“My life’s creative principle is the perception of the tragic.”

“Art, including music, is a reflection of the world, and the world is grim.”

“Even if you are a prophet, you have to be understood by people.”

“The most important things in life can be said in the simplest way.”

“Polystylism is not a lack of style, but a style in itself.”

“In my music, I try to cross the border that separates the conscious from the unconscious.”

“Film music is a laboratory for me.”

“Today, the artist’s situation is tragic. He is alone.”

“I have no preconceived ideas. I am open to everything.”

“There is always a conflict in my music... between what I want to do and what I am able to do.”

“The truth does not need any proof. It is self-evident.”

“I am a realist in the higher sense, that is, my concern is not with the single event but with the totality of life.”

“All my life I have been trying to write the music I hear in my head. I have never succeeded.”