It's not just a question of conquering a summit previously unknown, but of tracing, step by step, a new pathway to it.

I live like a Hottentot. I cannot exchange one sensible word with anyone.

Never let oneself be guided by the opinion of one's contemporaries. Continue steadfastly on one's way.

All that is not perfect down to the smallest detail is doomed to perish.

Tradition is laziness.

The further the music develops, the more complex the apparatus used by the composer to express his thoughts becomes.

In its beginnings, music was merely chamber music, meant to be listened to in a small space by a small audience.