Whenever I think of God I can only conceive of Him as a Being infinitely great and infinitely good. This last quality of the divine nature inspires me with such confidence and joy that I could have written even a miserere in tempo allegro.

When I think of my God, my heart dances within me for joy, and then my music has to dance, too.

I would give my best quartet for a good razor.

I was never a quick writer, but composed with great care and efforts.

There was no one near to confuse me, so I was forced to become original.

Young people can learn from my example that something can come from nothing. What I have become is the result of my hard efforts.

The custom of saluting [i.e., embracing] ladies by their relatives and friends was introduced, it is said, by the early Romans, not out of respect originally, but to find by their breath whether they had been drinking wine, this being criminal for women to do, as it sometimes led to adultery.