My operas usually come from musical ideas rather than ideas about subject matter.

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• Harrison Birtwistle:

  My operas and my theatre works are very formal pieces.

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  Music is such a problem in the time it takes.

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  Minimalism now is a reaction to what came before. It's absolutely of its time. Music moved into the

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  It's the irrational things that interest me.

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  In the end it doesn't matter what you do.

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  I'm not an architectural composer.

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  I'm not a music lover in the sense that I look for something to have on. I've never had that attitu

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  I wrote music as soon as I knew notation.

• Harrison Birtwistle:

  I think there are influences that you open the door to, and influences that come under the door.