Wisdom from F D Roosevelt (d otd 1945):
“Remember that all of us - you and I especially - are descended from immigrants.”
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

Confucius, thought to have d otd 479!
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”'
“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.”
“Study the past if you would define the future.”
'Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

Challenging thoughts from Khalil Gibran (d otd 1931):
'And God said, Love your enemy, & I obeyed Him & loved myself.'
'Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.'
'Keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life.'

A very happy 96th to Tom Lehrer! Witty AND wise...
“I know that there are people who do not love their fellow man; I hate people like that!”
'I went from adolescence to senility, trying to bypass maturity.'
'Be careful not to do your good deeds when there's no one watching you.'

Picasso (d otd 1973) on art:
Art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth.
Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.
It takes a very long time to become young.

Wisdom from William Wordsworth (b otd 1770):
'What we need is not the will to believe, but the wish to find out.'
'Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.'
'The ocean is a mighty harmonist.'

Music day! JS Bach's St John Passion 1st performed otd in Leipzig 300 years ago; and by a wonderful coincidence, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis also 1st performed complete otd (new style) 200 years ago, in St Petersburg. (AND the Eroica symphony premiered otd 1805). Summits of music!

Wisdom/humility from André Previn (b otd 1929):
'I've had the healthy and sobering experience of constantly working with music that is invariably better than any performance of it can be.'
'A Beethoven symphony should be rehearsed like chamber music, only for a lot more people.'

Wise thoughts from Bette Davis (b otd 1908):
'You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation.'
'It's better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you're not.'
'Life is the past, the present and the perhaps.'

Wisdom from Maya Angelou (b otd 1928):
Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

Brahms d otd 1897! dare I suggest that, glorious though it is, the music of his middle period occasionally lacks the fresh passion of his early works (eg 1st piano concerto)? But - towards the end, he recaptured it (late piano pieces, clarinet 5tet etc); plus ageless wisdom...

Sorry - pure boasting this time; but I can't resist. Today in US (16/5 in UK), a collection of short stories by amor towles ,Table for Two, comes out. One of them, The Bootlegger, tells of an illegal recording being made of a Carnegie Hall concert - given by me! SO flattered...

Inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen, b otd 1805:
'Where words fail, music speaks.'
'Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.'
'Every man's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers.'
'Just living is not enough; one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.'

OK - answer to my quiz: no 3 is a phony phoney. Saint-Saens DID hate Stravinsky's use of the bassoon at the beginning of Rite; but he didn't call Stravinsky... The other three facts were all true. Prize for getting it right: you're allowed one smug smile, lasting 15 seconds.

One of the (very many) things I love about Prussia Cove is the amazing range of colours the sea produces - often changing from moment to moment. These pictures all taken within the last few days - no wonder that all the musicians here are inspired to produce more tone-colours...

Apr 1st quiz - which of these is a phoney?
1) Brahms had a phone.
2) On Tchaikovsky's 1 'trunk' call, he hung up, feeling ill.
3) Saint-Saens called Stravinsky after the Rite premiere, berating him for 'abuse of the bassoon'.
4) Proust listened to Wagner operas via a phone line.

JS Bach AND Joseph Haydn b otd! (1685/1732). Bach brought music to the peak of sublimity, summing up all that had gone before, providing everlasting inspiration for all who followed. Haydn took music in completely new directions, with his extraordinary imagination. Happy Easter!

Day of art! B otd:
Goya, 1746: 'The act of painting is about one heart telling another heart where he found salvation.'
Van Gogh, 1853: “Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.”
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”

William Walton b otd 1902 - such a wonderful composer, whose reputation has never quite recovered from the 'unfashionable' label pinned on him after the rise of Britten. Not fair - Walton merely remained true to himself! His music is so achingly beautiful, vivid, imaginative...

Wit and wisdom from the wonderful Peter Ustinov, who d otd 20 years ago:
'Life is unfair but remember sometimes it is unfair in your favour.'
'To be gentle, tolerant, wise and reasonable requires a goodly portion of toughness.'
'Laughter... the most civilised music in the world.'