A true "personality" . . . is like a robust organism that, with unconscious sureness, seeks out and digests the nourishment appropriate to it and vigorously rejects that which is unsuitable."

A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.

If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not believe trying to say it in music.

The important thing is never to let oneself be guided by the opinion of one's contemporaries; to continue steadfastly on one's way without letting oneself be either defeated by failure or diverted by applause.

"If you think you're boring your audience, go slower not faster."