For the virtuoso, musical works are in fact nothing but tragic and moving materializations of his emotions; he is called upon to make them speak, weep, sing and sigh, to recreate them in accordance with his own consciousness. In this way he, like the composer, is a creator, for he must have within himself those passions that he wishes to bring so intensely to life.

I am not fond of speaking about politics because I don't have in my possession an army of 200,000 soldiers.

I did not compose my work as one might put on a church vestment... rather it sprung from the truly fervent faith of my heart, such as I have felt it since my childhood.

Companions, in misery and worse, that is what we all are, and to try to change this substantially avails us nothing.

You cannot imagine how it spoils one to have been a child prodigy.

A person of any mental quality has ideas of his own. This is common sense.

Real men are sadly lacking in this world, for when they are put to the test they prove worthless.