Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself; he must act in spite of it, and then it will gradually yield to him.

A phenomenon like Mozart remains an inexplicable thing.

Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.

The true, prescriptive artist strives after artistic truth; the lawless artist, following blind instinct, after an appearance of naturalness. The one leads to the highest peaks of art, the other to its lowest depths.

Forget not that the man who cannot enjoy his own natural gifts in silence, and find his reward in the exercise of them, will generally find himself badly off.

Everyone only hears what he understands.

Everywhere, we learn only from those whom we love.