Most people use music as a couch; they want to be pillowed on it, relaxed and consoled for the stress of daily living. But serious music was never meant to be soporific.

You may feel depressed, but it can't be so depressing that you can't move. No, I would say that people create in moments when they are elated about expressing their depression!

The greatest moments of the human spirit may be deduced from the greatest moments in music.

Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness.

If a literary man puts together two words about music, one of them will be wrong.

I adore extravagance but I abhor waste.

Composers tend to assume that everyone loves music. Surprisingly enough, everyone doesn’t.