I want nothing better, more flexible or more complete than the sonata form, which contains everything necessary for my structural purposes.

There are still so many beautiful things to be said in C major.

My chief virtue (or if you like, defect) has been a tireless lifelong search for an original, individual musical idiom. I detest imitation, I detest hackneyed devices.

Formalism is music that people don't understand at first hearing.

I detest imitation, I detest hackneyed devices.

At home we didnt talk about religion. So gradually the question faded away by itself and disappeared from the agenda. When I was nineteen my father died; my response to his death was atheistic.

My mother had to explain that one couldnt compose a Liszt rhapsody because it was a piece of music that Liszt himself had composed.

I wish that people would stop destroying other people just because they were once destroyed.

Those religions that are oppressive to women are also against democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression.

In truth, I'm not really a cat person. Seamus, the wonder dog, still deeply mourned by all who knew him, was just about the only pet I've ever really loved.

Speech is the representation of the mind, and writing is the representation of speech.

Courage taught me no matter how bad a crisis gets… any sound investment will eventually pay off.

All you must do is accecpt all that is unaccecptable to you.

Do a strong work meditation all day. You won't be as exhausted as everyone else because you have been gaining a kind of internal power from your work.

For 50 years, acting was the reason I got up in the morning.

A battle that you win cancels all your mistakes.

Always surround yourself with people who are even more talented and competent than you.