Quotes on Music and Musicians (Hardcover)

Music, which some call the universal language, has been with us as long as life itself. From each continent's birdsong to the thumping of elephants on their moonlit jaunt across a grassland, from the Neanderthal's bone flutes and triangles to Mozart's orchestral harmonies to today's electronically generated sounds, music has been created, advanced and enjoyed by every living creature in history. Acoustic, electrified, natural or man-made, sounds which speak to us, which harmonize and touch the soul, are perhaps the truest and most spiritual form of communication ever devised by life forms. Indeed, among many life forms, they are the essence of communication itself. Jean Paul Richter reminds us that, "Music is the poetry of the air." Add to that the admonition of British composer Edgar Elgar that, "there is music in the air, music all around us...simply take as much as you require," and it is certain we can never be the poorer for living in this world if we only take a moment to listen.