John Eaton quotes:

We need it to capture the energy of contemporary life.

But nevertheless, it's music ultimately that matters in opera, and opera is a piece of music reaching out as a vision in sound reaching out to the world.

Well, opera began with an intent to resuscitate Greek drama, that is, modern opera as we know it.

I think one of the greatest enemies in the use of technology, however, is the idea that if you use the technology you have to throw other things out of the window.

If you look at the timing of many of the Greek dramas from the theatrical point of view, it's all off, and I think the reason for that is that music played a very important part.

In other words, I think that if an audience listens to something as an experience of how in tune it is or something of that kind, that the whole point is somehow being missed, and the music has failed.

I think I was first to do live performances on a modern electronic sound synthesizer.

It's not important to me to found a school; it's not important to me to have disciples.

Well, opera began with an intent to resuscitate Greek drama, that is, modern opera as we know it."

I've just simply used what I've used because of the great, great expressive potential of it.

Well, let me, first of all, say, that as a microtonal composer, I've never been much of a theorist.

However, yes, especially as one gets older, you know, you really hope that your music will become more generally available, even though some of the performances might be riddled with faults.

I think the composer and production staff of an opera have a real responsibility to use visual elements of all kinds to make clear to the American audience, at any rate, exactly what is going on.