The most perfect melodic shapes are found in Mozart; he has the lightness of touch which is the true objective ... Listen to the remarkable expansion of a Mozart melody, to Cherubino's 'Voi che sapete', for instance. You think it is coming to an end, but it goes farther, even farther.
Richard StraussIts a funny thing Alice, dying is just the way I composed it in Tod und Verklรคrung.
Richard StraussOn conducting: If you can just barely hear the French horns on stage, the balance is perfect.
Richard Strauss