Musical practice is too young an art in America to warrant a search for men with a conductor's gift.

It is simple nonsense to speak of the fixed tempo of any particular vocal phrase. Each voice has its peculiarities.

The ability to conduct is a gift of God with which few have been endowed in full measure.

Conducting! A subject, truly, concerning which much might be written, yet scarcely anything of real importance is to be found in books.

Composers are not all good conductors.

The conductor's gift does not always go hand in hand with that of composition; indeed, the union is found much more seldom than is popularly believed.

I love to write about Nabokov and also to think about him. I love his attitude that he is incomparable, his lofty judgments and general scorn of other writers - not all of them, of course.

As I get older - and wiser of course - I appreciate natural beauty in a different way.

Faith in oneself is the best and safest course.

Savoury food is for main course, and fruit is for pudding.

Of course I took advantage of the publicity that surrounded my friendship with Princess Margaret.

If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron.