Olivier Messiaen famous quotes

My faith is the grand drama of my life. I'm a believer, so I sing words of God to those who have no faith. I give bird songs to those who dwell in cities and have never heard them, make rhythms for those who know only military marches or jazz, and paint colors for those who see none.
-- Olivier Messiaen

#Song #Drama #Military

The human being is flesh and consciousness, body and soul; his heart is an abyss which can only be filled by that which is godly.
-- Olivier Messiaen

#Heart #Godly #Soul

It's probable that in the artistic hierarchy birds are the greatest musicians existing on our planet.
-- Olivier Messiaen

#Bird #Hierarchy #Musician

No one should be allowed to make music as if he were made of wood. One must reproduce the musical text exactly, but not play like a stone.
-- Olivier Messiaen

#Play #Musical #Stones

A true music, that is to say, spiritual, a music which may be an act of faith; a music which may touch upon all subjects without ceasing to touch upon God; an original music, in short, whose language may open a few doors, take down some yet distant stars.
-- Olivier Messiaen

#Spiritual #Stars #Doors

My faith is the grand drama of my life. I'm a believer, so I sing words of God to those who have no faith....
-- Olivier Messiaen

#Faith #Drama #Believer

Birds are the first and the greatest performers.
-- Olivier Messiaen

#Bird #Firsts #Performers

It's funny because if you ever ask anyone in England to try and do a Beatles accent, no one knows what they really sound like. If you ask anyone in America, they would try and give it a go. English people just know their songs.

Dear friends, have you begun to sing the "new song? " Loved ones are singing it in the heavenly home, and we may sing it here; and by and by we shall join them, gaze with them on the risen, glorified Lord, and our voices will mingle in the "new song" "unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.

The primary purpose of prayer is not to make requests. The primary purpose is to praise, to sing, to chant. Because the essence of prayer is a song, and man cannot live without a song. Prayer may not save us. But prayer may make us worthy of being saved.

A lot of times, I played bass on songs. Gene plays guitar on some songs.

I feel like a lot of my past career was going to film school, making a lot of different kinds of movies. I made a bunch of comedies, I made one drama and I made a couple musicals.

I'm just very wary that once you start military operations in any country, it's very difficult to predict what the outcome is.

From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide.

With firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.

In the military, you learn the essence of people. You see so many examples of self-sacrifice and moral courage. In the rest of life you don't get that many opportunities to be sure of your friends.

Acting is a business and a political act and a craft, but I also feel like it's a service - specifically, for a military audience.