Melody is the essence of music. I compare a good melodist to a fine racer, and counterpoints to hack post-horses.

Creativity is the firing of my soul.

Nor do I hear in my imagination the parts successively, but I hear them, as it were, all at once (gleich dies zusammen). What a delight this is I cannot tell ! All this inventing, this producing, takes place in a pleasing lively dream.

Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.

If people could see into my heart, I should almost feel ashamed - all there is cold, cold as ice.

What's even worse than a flute? - Two flutes!

I should like to know for what reason idleness is so popular with many young people that it is impossible to dissuade them from it either by words or by chastisements.