“Certain things in Mozart will and can never be excelled.”

“There is an excellent rule to follow; quarrel, not with the person who said the things (you can never be sure they were said), but with the person who has told of their being said.”

“The only thing that separates any one of us from excellence is fear and the opposite of fear is faith. I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for, perfection is God’s business.”

“Certain things in life simply have to be experienced -and never explained. Love is such a thing.”

“Growing old is unavoidable, but never growing up is possible. I believe you can retain certain things from your childhood if you protect them - certain traits, certain places where you don’t let the world go.”

“The past is history written in stone that can't be altered. The future is transitory and never guaranteed. Today is the only thing you can alter for certain. Make the most of it.”

“At a certain stage every single thing can be a sign.”

“One that desires to excel should endeavour in those things that are in themselves most excellent.”

“There is only one thing about which I am certain, and this is that there is very little about which one can be certain.”

“Age is part of it. For instance, I recognise that [Carlsen] is going to do certain things because he's 22 and there are certain things I can do because I'm 43.”