The principal task of a conductor is not to put himself in evidence but to disappear behind his functions as much as possible. We are pilots, not servants.

As the mother teaches her children how to express themselves in their language, so one Gypsy musician teaches the other. They have never shown any need for notation.

It is impossible to imagine a more complete fusion with nature than that of the Gypsy.

I find little in the works of Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner and others when they are led by a conductor who functions like a windmill.

Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day.

Brahms' Variations are better than mine, but mine were written before his.

The public is always good.

Truth is a great flirt.

Supreme serenity still remains the Ideal of great Art. The shapes and transitory forms of life are but stages toward this Ideal, which Christ's religion illuminates with His divine light.

The character of instrumental music... lets the emotions radiate and shine in their own character without presuming to display them as real or imaginary representations.

In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance.

Without any assistance whatever, I founded a school in Weimar in 10 years. Only I could perform certain works with the scanty means that I dared not ask anyone else to work with.

Real men are sadly lacking in this world, for when they are put to the test they prove worthless.

I conclude that the Wagnerian operas which are already in the repertoire, and other masterworks as well, stand in no further need of my services.

Mournful and yet grand is the destiny of the artist.

A person of any mental quality has ideas of his own. This is common sense.

Life is only a long and bitter suicide, and faith alone can transform this suicide into a sacrifice.

We need improvement in the style of performance. There is no more advantage in a musician who plays and conducts than in one who is only a beater of rhythm.

It is my fervent wish and my greatest ambition to leave a work with a few useful instructions for the pianists after me.

Sorrowful and great is the artist's destiny.

I did not compose my work as one might put on a church vestment... rather it sprung from the truly fervent faith of my heart, such as I have felt it since my childhood.

I foster a sorrowful conception of affection. Make no sacrifices.

Inspiration is enough to give expression to the tone in singing, especially when the song is without words.

Broad paths are open to every endeavour, and a sympathetic recognition is assured to every one who consecrates his art to the divine services of a conviction of a consciousness.

The music of the Gypsies belongs in the sphere of improvisation rather than in any other, without which it would have no power to exist.

Companions, in misery and worse, that is what we all are, and to try to change this substantially avails us nothing.

A theatre receives recognition through its initiative, which is indispensable for first-rate performances.

Music embodies feeling without forcing it to contend and combine with thought, as it is forced in most arts and especially in the art of words.

The principal task of a conductor is not to put himself in evidence but to disappear behind his functions as much as possible. We are pilots, not servants.

Beware of missing chances otherwise it may be altogether too late some day.

Companions in misery and worse that is what we all are and to try to change this substantially avails us nothing.

You cannot imagine how it spoils one to have been a child prodigy.

For increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

Plants can't very well defend themselves by their behavior, so they resort to chemical warfare, and plants are saturated with toxins and irritants to deter creatures like us who want to eat them.

Badminton will gain momentum in a big manner after my win in Olympics. More players will participate in the game now.

So there is a personal sense of style for a given work - I don't like a general style, but every work has its own style, and I want to create a style for every work.

Sexy is not a size... your body is not a battleground. Your value is not measured in pounds.

Politics is repetition. It is not change. Change is something beyond what we call politics. Change is the essence politics is supposed to be the means to bring into being.

Manners are about imagination, ultimately. They are about imagining being the other person.

I go the VA Hospital when I have a problem and the doctor jumps on me.

Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It may get tough, but it's a small price to pay for living a dream.

The chances of anyone of any race getting their own show are, like, .001 percent.

If you make a huge pot of soup, you can freeze part of it and eat off it for days. I love making green bean soup, and I'll throw in some cashews, almonds or tofu, and voila, I've got a soup that's loaded with protein and vegetables.

Equality and development will not be achieved however if peace is not understood from women's' point of view.

Being critical is not something I like to do. I like to appreciate and inspire.

I don't like to practice ahead of time what I'm going to say.

Most people believe that their listening skills are where they need to be, even though they aren't. A study at Wright State University surveyed more than 8,000 people from different verticals, and almost all rated themselves as listening as well as or better than their co-workers. We know intuitively that many of them are wrong.

Once you apologize, then the press wants you to get down on your knees and say you're sorry. They are not appeasable.

Just recently I worked with Van Morrison and I came to realize that money can't make a decent human being out of you.