"I am not one to compose long melodies as did Mozart. I can’t get beyond short themes. But what I can do, is utilize such a theme, paraphrase it and extract everything that is in it, and I don’t think there’s anybody today who can match me in that."

“Declarations about war and politics are not fitting for an artist, who must give his attention to his creations and his works.”

“Why don't people see what is new in my work, how in them, as is found only in Beethoven, the human being visibly plays a part in the work.”

“I am convinced that the decisive factor in dramatic effect will be a smaller orchestra, which does not drown out the human voice as does a large orchestra…The orchestra of the opera of the future is the chamber orchestra which, by painting in the background of the action on the stage with crystalline clearness, can alone realise precisely the intention of the composer with regard to the vocal parts. It is after all an important desideratum that the audience should not only hear the sounds but should also be able to follow the words closely.”

“Please start from the Bruch violin concerto again!”

“Man asks: When? When? Nature, answers from the depths Never, never, never will the weather improve.”

“Very fine, but why do you put so many wrong notes in? Basically, it is all built on simple triads.”