Oh blessed a thousand times the peasant who is born, eats and dies without anybody bothering about his affairs.

Oh blessed a thousand times the peasant who is born, eats and dies without anybody bothering about his affairs.

The success of our operas rests most of the time in the hands of the conductor. This person is as necessary as a tenor or a prima donna.

I deny that either singers or conductors can "create" or work creatively - this, as I have always said, is a conception that leads to the abyss.

The artist must yield himself to his own inspiration... I should compose with utter confidence a subject that set my musical blood going, even though it were condemned by all other artists as anti-musical.

You may have the universe if I may have Italy.

It is better to invert reality than to copy it.