Johannes Brahms

I am not a teacher, but I hope my music can inspire others.

I have always tried to write music that is both challenging and rewarding.

The symphonies are the culmination of my life's work.

I am not a critic, but I know what good music is.

I have always tried to write music that is both original and respectful of tradition.

The songs are a very important part of my output.

I am not a philosopher, but I believe that music can express the deepest truths of the human soul.

I have always tried to write music that is both disciplined and spontaneous.

The variations are a testament to my love of classical forms.

If there is anyone here whom I have not insulted, I beg his pardon.

I am a slow worker, and I never write a note until I am sure of it.

I often think that I am a very bad musician. But I am a very good critic.

I would give a good deal to know what a really good composer thinks of my work.

I have been in the habit of composing for many years, and I have never yet found it easy.

I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It is a very good work, but it is not a masterpiece.

I have always been a great admirer of Bach, but I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about his fugues. They are very clever, but they are not beautiful.

I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about Wagner's operas. They are very grand, but they are not music.

I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about Liszt's piano pieces. They are very brilliant, but they are not art.

I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about Chopin's nocturnes. They are very charming, but they are not profound.

I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about Schumann's symphonies. They are very earnest, but they are not inspired.