Gian Carlo Menotti

“A libretto is not a literary work. It is a guide for a composer.”

“Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do.”

“To be an artist is to be a prophet. To be a prophet is to be a lonely man.”

“There is no such thing as a great talent without great will power.”

“I'm a playwright who happens to write music.”

“To be an artist means never to avert one's eyes.”

“The life of a composer is going to be brutal.”

“I suffer from the delusion that every product of my imagination is not only true, but truly meritorious.”

“Art has become a luxury, so it is talked about.”

“Opera is the most complete art form. It includes music, drama, art, and costumes.”

“I have written my own libretti. It's a great advantage.”

“Melody is the most important thing. It is the soul of music.”

“I always write for the theater. The music must serve the drama.”

“The score must be subservient to the text.”

“My music is very simple, I think. It's for the people.”

“I don't know why I write music. I have to.”

“I want to write for the public, not for the critics.”

“Amahl was an act of faith.”