I made, over the years in Cambridge, several very good American friends, and America appeared to me, a land of promise in every sense of that word, a land of freedom from the inhibitions and restrictions that I felt in England.

What was evident was that Mozart was simply transcribing music completely finished in his head. And finished as most music is never finished. Displace one note and there would be diminishment. Displace one phrase and structure would fall. I was staring through the cage of those meticulous ink strokes at Absolute Beauty.

The devil isn't made by what Mommy says or what Daddy says. The devil is there.

Watching Italian opera, all those male sopranos screeching, stupid fat couples rolling their eyes about. That's not love, it's just rubbish.

I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint.

Can you think of anything worse one can do to anybody than take away their worship?

I think people nowadays do tend to blame their parents for everything.