The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.

A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.

If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it.

Music with dinner is an insult, both to the cook and the violinist.

Music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together.

The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.

People ask me how I make music. I tell them I just step into it. It's like stepping into a river and joining the flow. Every moment in the river has its song.

Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.

Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.

We're not trying to change the world; just music.

Critics are the men who have failed in literature and art.

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

The spoken form is in fact a very restrained representation of what is possible in the musical language.

Art is magic delivered from the lie of being truth.

Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.

Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art.

We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.

Art not only imitates nature, but also completes its deficiencies.

The music industry can make you feel like a prostitute.

I have a genuine love affair with my audience. When I`m on stage they`re not privileged to see me. It`s a privilege for me to see them.