The justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations.

The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but rather the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.

Isolation is the indispensable component of human happiness.

One does not play the piano with one's fingers, one plays the piano with one's mind.

There is a craft and a power in listening.

u201Che G-minor Symphony consists of eight remarkable measures surrounded by a half-hour of banality.

Whenever one honestly defies a tradition, one becomes, in reality, the more responsible to it.

The purpose of art is the lifelong construction of a state of wonder.

I detest audiences - not in their individual components, but en masse I detest audiences. I think they're a force of evil. It seems to me rule of mob law.

If an artist wants to use his mind for creative work, cutting oneself off from society is a necessary thing

My moods are inversely related to the clarity of the sky.

The last thing one discovers in composing a work is what to put first.

No triumph without a try.

Taking actions will fulfill your dreams and wishes, not the prayers and blessings.

You have to forgive yourself for your past mistakes, and you have to forgive those that hurt you for what they did to you, or you're never going to fully move on.

There is nothing more shameful than perfidious friendship.

Frustration, although quite painful at times, is a very positive and essential part of success.

The ideal man doesn't exist. A husband is easier to find.

I rode in a nine-day charity ride recently, averaged 43km a day and still finished in the lead group. I'm 38, not quite finished yet.

All equity categories, correctly calculated, create near-identical lifelong returns. They just get there via wildly differing paths.

You have to want to play it all day, every day to get to the top.