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- I sometimes ponder on variation form and it seems to me it ought to be more restrained, purer. — Johannes Brahms
- It is not hard to compose, but what is fabulously hard is to leave the superfluous notes under the table. — Johannes Brahms
- Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind. — Johannes Brahms
- We cling nervously to the melody, but we don't handle it freely, we don't really make anything new out of it, we merely overload it. — Johannes Brahms
- Composers in the old days used to keep strictly to the base of the theme, as their real subject. Beethoven varies the melody, harmony and rhythms so beautifully. — Johannes Brahms
- Straight-away the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God, and not only do I see distinct themes in my mind's eye, but they are clothed in the right forms, harmonies, and orchestration. — Johannes Brahms