Death is a silence held at full volume for a very long time

It is not too far-fetched to link the silence at the end of a musical performance with death. In Moscow, on the gravestone of the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke is carved a stave with the semi-circle and dot of a fermata, the sign that indicates that a note (or in this case a pause) is to be held. Underneath is written ‘fff’ (one step above fortissimo, meaning very, very loud).

Death is a silence held at full volume for a very long time.

– Nigel Warburton, 'On Silence', New Philosopher #55