Music must never offend the ear, but must please the listener, or, in other words, must never cease to be music.

Music is my life and my life is music.

True perfection in all things is no longer known or prized - you must write music that is either so simple a coachman could sing it, or so unintelligble that audiences like it simply because no sane person could understand it.

Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.

You know that I become quite powerless whenever I am obliged to write for an instrument which I cannot bear.

I love it when an aria fits a singer as perfectly as a suit of well-tailored clothes.

People err who think my art comes easily to me. I assure you, dear friend, nobody has devoted so much time and thought to compositions as I. There is not a famous master whose music I have not industriously studied through many times.