Johannes Brahms

Music German 1833 – 1897 379 quotes

Master of symphonic and chamber music

Most quoted

"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."

— from Various anecdotes

"I am of the opinion that the public is usually wrong in its judgment of new works, but that after twenty or thirty years it finally corrects its own verdict."

— from Attributed

"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."

— from Various anecdotes

All quotes by Johannes Brahms (379)

I believe that music should be a source of joy and happiness, but it should also be a source of introspection and melancholy.

Interview

I am a slow worker, and I like to take my time. I am not a genius, but I am a hard worker.

Letter to Clara Schumann

I have been thinking a great deal about you lately, and I wish I could be with you.

Letter to Clara Schumann

I am so happy when I am composing. It is the only thing that makes me truly happy.

Diary entry

I am not a man of many words, but I hope you know how much I care for you.

Letter to a friend

I often think of you, and I wish I could see you more often.

Letter to Clara Schumann

I am always striving for perfection, even though I know it is impossible to achieve.

Letter to a colleague

I have never been able to express myself well in words, but I hope my music speaks for itself.

Letter to a critic

I am a lonely man, but I have my music to keep me company.

Diary entry

I believe that music should be beautiful and expressive, but it should also be well-crafted and intelligent.

Letter to a student

I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of not being able to compose anymore.

Diary entry

I have always been drawn to the music of the past, but I also believe in the importance of innovation.

Letter to a colleague

I am a man of simple tastes, and I prefer to live a quiet life.

Letter to a friend

I am not interested in fame or fortune, but I do want my music to be appreciated.

Diary entry

I believe that music has the power to touch the soul and to elevate the human spirit.

Letter to a patron

I am a perfectionist, and I am never satisfied with my work.

Letter to a friend

I am a man of few regrets, but I do wish I had spent more time with the people I loved.

Diary entry

I believe that music should be honest and sincere, and it should come from the heart.

Letter to a student

I am a solitary man, but I am not lonely when I am composing.

Diary entry

I have always been drawn to the beauty of nature, and I often find inspiration in the world around me.

Letter to a friend