I am sure my music has a taste of codfish in it.

In Bach, Beethoven and Wagner we admire principally the depth and energy of the human mind; in Mozart, the divine instinct.

I have not the least doubt that school developed in me nothing but what was evil and left the good untouched.

To have the ability to withdraw into oneself and forget everything around one when one is creating - What, I think is the only requirement for being able to bring forth something beautiful. The whole thing is - a mystery.

Suddenly a mist fell from my eyes and I knew the way I had to take.

When we are young, friends are, like everything else, a matter of course. In the old days we know what it means to have them.

A landscape, torn by mists and clouds, in which I can see ruins of old churches, as well as of Greek temples - that is Brahms.