Why write for the orchestra? For one thing it's a very challenging problem.

Silences between movements are employed only in order to bring the opposing duo to the fore.

When I was in Paris, all of the German refugees began to flow in and it was a very sad time.

The Third Quartet I made the instruments in pairs - Two different pairs - Violin and viola, and violin and cello. They played very different things from each other all through the whole piece.

The first thing that struck me about contemporary music in general had been thatthere was not much interest in rhythm.

Yes, I get a report from BMI about the frequency of performances, and it is very surprising. They played one of my most advanced pieces, and one of my most unusual ones on the radio.

Aaron Copland was a man that had a very specific point of view about what music should be which was that, he felt that new music should have the composer should show a personality in his music.