Music, I feel, must be emotional first and intellectual second.

Does it not occur to people that I might be artificial by nature?

Why become a second-rate Ravel when you're already a first-rate Gershwin?

You might lose your spontaneity and, instead of composing first-rate Gershwin, end up with second rate Ravel.

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.

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

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