What is this quote about performing music?

July 28, 2011 7:13 AM

I need help finding a quote about the performance of music.

Here is what I remember about the quote itself. It was a pair of sentences, both with a similar structure. That structure was "the X is not the Y". Both sets of X/Y had to do with music, and I think each set began with the same letters (e.g., score/sound, piece/performance). The gist of the quote was that music, when written down, is nothing; it's the act of translating the music from notation to actual sound that makes music. I believe the quote was from either a modern composer or a conductor, and I think it's likely that person is a jazz composer/conductor.

I thought that it part of it was "the score is not the sound" but googling that phrase doesn't find it. I haven't been able to come up with anything using other terms either -- my GoogleFu is failing me on this one.

posted by Janta to writing & language (2 answers total)

is it Raymond Bellour: "The score is not the performance"? (pdf)
posted by dubold at 7:48 AM on July 28, 2011

Many people seem to have said, "The score is not the music." I don't think you could definitely attribute it to just one person.
posted by John Cohen at 8:41 AM on July 28, 2011