"O, you men who think or say that I am malevolent, stubborn, or misanthropic, how greatly do you wrong me."

"To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable!"

"May God continue to give you the strength to build your temple of Isis, and may the pure fire there devour all your afflictions so that you may awake like a new phoenix."

"I have never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my heart must come out; that is the reason why I compose."

"The more I think of it, the more I feel that there is something wrong with the whole business of publishing. The publishers are the real thieves."