“The peculiar characteristic of classical music is that it is really better than it sounds.”

—  Edgar Wilson Nye

A stand-up line quoted in 1888.
Attributed
Variant: Wagner's music is better than it sounds (attested in an obituary; see The Quote Verifier)

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Edgar Wilson Nye photo
Edgar Wilson Nye 3
American journalist, who later became widely known as a hum… 1850–1896

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