19th-century Musician Quotes

Albert, Prince Consort

Scott Joplin

Theodor Billroth

Lead Belly

Sidney Lanier

Edward German

Louis Moreau Gottschalk

Loving a child doesn't mean giving in to all his whims; to love him is to bring out the best in him, to teach him to love what is difficult.

Nadia Boulanger

Shoo, fly! don't bodder me! I belong to Company G, I feel like a morning star.

Thomas Brigham Bishop

There is such a thing as poetic science, but no such thing as scientific poetry.

Francis Grierson

I'm just wild about Harry,
And Harry's wild about me.
The heavenly blisses of his kisses
Fill me with ecstasy.
He's sweet just like chocolate candy,
And just like honey from the bee.
Oh, I'm just wild about Harry
And he's just wild about,
Cannot do without,
He's just wild about me.

Walk right in, sit right down, baby let your hair hang down.
Everybody's talking 'bout a new way of walking;
Do you want to lose you mind?

Men of Harlech! On to glory,
See your banner, famed in story,
Waves these burning words before ye,
"Britain scorns to yield!"

Thomas Oliphant

Old mismanagement is no excuse for the continuance of it.

Albert, Prince Consort

It is a most gratifying sign of the rapid progress of our time that our best text-books become antiquated so quickly.

Theodor Billroth

We're tenting tonight on the old campground, Give us a song to cheer Our weary hearts, a song of home And friends we love so dear.

Walter Kittredge

Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwinter to wear,
To walk the golden streets.

Oh the moonlight's fair tonight along the Wabash.
From the fields there comes the breath of new-mown hay;
Thro' the sycamores the candle lights are gleaming,
On the banks of the Wabash far away.

I wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate,
She shivers like the jelly on a plate.

Armand J. Piron

To a fellow pianist:

Very well, my dear. You continue to play Bach your way and I'll continue to play him his way.

Wanda Landowska

We had no sooner taken our seats in the railway carriage and the train was beginning to move slowly out of the station when the guard came along the corridor and presented me with my viola! The porter had spotted it, reclining in its case all alone on the platform seat where Lillian and I had been busily engaged in conversation, run along the platform, and thrust it into the hands of the guard through the luggage van window as the train was moving off. Such was my absorption in Lillian that I could even forget the existence of my beloved and precious viola which had meant so much to me for so many years.

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker-jack—
I don't care if I never get back.

Goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Irene,
I'll kiss you in my dreams.

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand has provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Thomas O. Chisholm

She was hailed as the morning star, as the sun rejoicing in his brightness, and like that generous luminary, which bids the diamond blaze, and deigns to gild the lily, she dispensed her gracious attentions to all who aspired to their influence...

William Sterndale Bennett

Oft did I wonder why the setting sun
Should look upon us with a blushing face:
Is't not for shame of what he hath seen done,
Whilst in our hemisphere he ran his race?

Everyone is aware of the fact that visual and auditive perspective are identical; the only difference being that they are created and perceived by two physically different organs, the eye and the ear. How often the playing of a great master makes us think of a picture with a deep background and varying planes; the figures in the foreground almost leap out of the frame whereas in the background the mountains and clouds are lost in a blue haze.

Heinrich Neuhaus

If you can't do anything as good as or even better than what you have already done, then don't do it.

We will trust you as our leader,
We will trust you as our leader,
No one else could lead like you,
For you know what is best to do.

Look out, Death: I am coming.-Art thou not glad? what talks we'll have.-What memories of old battles.-Come, bring the bowl, Death; I am thirsty.

Much of my experience of life has cost me a great price and I wish to use it for strengthening and comforting other souls.

Elizabeth Prentiss

Got de St. Louis Blues jes as blue as ah can be. Dat man got a heart lak a rock cast in the sea, Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me.