A plural man with a singular career, he has managed to warn, surprise, — Pierre Schaeffer

"In the world of Pierre Schaeffer, experimentation and entertainment were synonymous; any division between the avant-garde and the everyday simply did not exist."

"I do not want to heap coals of fire on anyones head, but I would like to advise those who keep the living thought of the dead hidden away in cardboard boxes, to pass on as quickly as possibly such explosive material, whose only legitimate heir is the whole world, that is to say, my neighbor."

"I was horrified by modern 12-tone music. I said to myself, Maybe I can find something different... maybe salvation, liberation, is possible."

"People who try to create a musical revolution do not have a chance, but those who turn their back to music can sometimes find it."

"Sound is the vocabulary of nature... noises are as well articulated as the words in a dictionary... Opposing the world of sound is the world of music."

"We live in an age dominated by the problem of limits. We are witnessing the end of progress. We have reached the saturation point. Are we going beyond these limits? Are we going to take the risk? There is much work to do to maintain the planet."