The Seasons Are What A Symphony Ought

My Father, Good Or Bad, Mistakes Or No, Had A Direct Line From His Heart To The Music To The People, To The Audience. He Played With Logic And His Own Inner Truth.

I Have Found That If You Love Life, Life Will Love You Back.

I Was Born Very, Very Lazy And I Don't Always Practice Very Long. But I Must Say, In My Defense, That It Is Not So Good, In A Musical Way, To Overpractice. When You Do, The Music Seems To Come Out Of Your Pocket. If You Play With A Feeling Of 'oh, I Know This,' You Play Without That Little Drop Of Fresh Blood That Is Necessary – And The Audience Feels It.

I'm Passionately Involved In Life: I Love Its Change, Its Color, Its Movement. To Be Alive, To Be Able To See, To Walk, To Have Houses, Music, Paintings - It's All A Miracle.

...stories About [the German Composer Johannes] Brahms's Rudeness And Wit Amused Me In Particular. For Instance, I Loved The One About How A Great Wine Connoisseur Invited The Composer To Dinner. 'this Is The Brahms Of My Cellar,' He Said To His Guests, Producing A Dust-covered Bottle And Pouring Some Into The Master's Glass. Brahms Looked First At The Color Of The Wine, Then Sniffed Its Bouquet, Finally Took A Sip, And Put The Glass Down Without Saying A Word. 'don't You Like It?' Asked The Host. 'hmm,' Brahms Muttered. 'better Bring Your Beethoven!'