Happy Birthday Giuseppe Verdi!

Our mistake, you see, was to write interminable large operas, which had to fill an entire evening. And now along comes someone with a one or two-act opera without all that pompous nonsense - that was a happy reform.

Ein jeder von uns müßte Respekt für die leidende Menschheit empfinden.

I have striven for perfection, it has always eluded me, but I surely had an obligation to make one more try.

Die Wahrheit erzählen ist gut, aber die Wahrheit erfinden ist besser.

To copy the truth can be a good thing, but to invent the truth is better, much better.

Das Publikum soll streng sein, soll pfeifen, aber sein Beifall soll mich zu nichts verpflichten.

Oh blessed a thousand times the peasant who is born, eats and dies without anybody bothering about his affairs.

Melodie und Harmonie dürfen in der Hand des Künstlers nur Mittel sein, um Musik zustandezubringen.

I adore art... when I am alone with my notes, my heart pounds and the tears stream from my eyes, and my emotion and my joys are too much to bear.

Zu vertrauen ist gut, nicht zu vertrauen ist besser.

Stupid criticism and still more stupid praise.

Wenn ich ganz allein mit mir und meinen Noten kämpfe, dann zittert mir das Herz, die Tränen kommen mir, und die Freuden sind unsagbar.

It is better to invert reality than to copy it.

Die Wahrheit nachbilden mag gut sein, aber die Wahrheit erfinden ist besser, viel besser.

A man like Verdi must write like Verdi.

Es gibt keine italienische Musik, auch keine deutsche, und keine türkische - aber es gibt Musik.

You may have the universe if I may have Italy.

Through care taken over trends, the desire to be novel and affectation knowledge, we repudiate our art, our instinct, our own way of doing things; it is absurd and stupid.

The success of our operas rests most of the time in the hands of the conductor. This person is as necessary as a tenor or a prima donna.

The artist must yield himself to his own inspiration... I should compose with utter confidence a subject that set my musical blood going, even though it were condemned by all other artists as anti-musical.