Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

"More often than not, one meets technicians, nimble keyboardists by profession, who … indeed astound us with their prowess without ever touching our sensibilities .... stirring performance depends upon an alert mind which is willing to follow reasonable precepts in order to reveal the content of the compositions. What comprises good performance? The ability through singing or playing to make the ear conscious of the true content and affect of a composition. Any passage can be so radically changed by modifying its performance that it will be scarcely recognizable."

"A musician cannot move others unless he too is moved. He must feel all the emotions that he hopes to arouse in his audience, for the revealing of his own humor will stimulate a like mood in the listener."

"According to my principles, every master has his true and certain value. Praise and criticism cannot change any of that. Only the work itself praises and criticizes the master, and therefore I leave to everyone his own value."

"Mich deucht, die Musik müsse vornemlich das Herz rühren, und dahin bringt es ein Clavierspieler nie durch blosses Poltern, Trommeln und Harpeggiren, wenigstens bey mir nicht."

"Meine Sonaten und mein Heilig gehen ab, wie warme Semlen, bey der Börse auf dem Naschmarkte, wo ich vordem mancher Mandel Pretzel den Hals gebrochen habe."

"Aus der Seele muß man spielen, und nicht wie ein abgerichteter Vogel"