My intention here is to make it clear that not a single cell of my composition, here in regard to The Raven, is found by chance or intuition, that the composition moved towards perfection with the precision and inevitability of a mathematical equation.

We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art

For Debussy the musician and the man I have had profound admiration, but by nature I'm different from him. I think I have always personally followed a direction opposed to that of the symbolism of Debussy.

The only love affair I have ever had was with music.

Remember that I wrote a pavane for a dead princess, and not a dead pavane for a princess!

If he'd been making shell-cases during the war it might have been better for music.

I did my work slowly, drop by drop. I tore it out of me by pieces.