Those are miracles that no merely human brain can work. The artist is merely the sound conduct of a Force that dictates to him what he should do.

If there is anyone here whom I have not insulted, I beg his pardon.

We cling nervously to the melody, but we don't handle it freely, we don't really make anything new out of it, we merely overload it.

Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.

I sometimes ponder on variation form and it seems to me it ought to be more restrained, purer.

It is not hard to compose but it is wonderfully hard to let the superfluous notes fall under the table. . . So many melodies fly about, one must be careful not to tread on them.

Those who enjoy their own emotionally bad health and who habitually fill their own minds with the rank poisons of suspicion, jealousy and hatred, as a rule take umbrage at those who refuse to do likewise, and they find a perverted relief in trying to denigrate them.