Edward Rothstein > Quotes

“Once music is
detached from function, once it becomes a repertory art, it
explicitly strives to define itself, out of itself, to become "mathemat-
ical"—that is to say,
to begin from premises and proceed to
conclusions by interpreting its own universe, finding
its own
laws. Systems of harmony and counterpoint become tools for
elaborate musical explorations. A great deal of Western music
is as much a manifestation of idealism as is mathematics.”
― Edward rothstein, Emblems of Mind: The Inner Life of Music and Mathematics

“Musical myths speak with authority about our society, its fragility, its strengths, its desires, and its limits. Music becomes a wise version of the utopian messenger, pleasing us with his account of an ideal land but also warning us, in his tones, of all the dangers.”
― Edward Rothstein, Visions of Utopia

“It may be that the best we can hope for when it comes to utopias is that they be held at arm's length and regarded as aesthetic constructions, in which various proportions are neatly worked out, contradictions eliminated, and outside intrusions minimized. They are fictions, artifacts of culture. And we should be wary if they ever become much more.”
― Edward Rothstein, Visions of Utopia