---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether a listener absorbs this music or…"
description: "\"Whether a listener absorbs this music or rebels against it is at least partly a matter of how the performers put it across. It would be hard to imagine..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/allan-kozinn-87367_comfortable_whether-a-listener-absorbs-this-music-or_1279118.jpg"
---

#  Whether a listener absorbs this music or rebels against it…

![“Whether a listener absorbs this music or rebels against it is at least partly a matter of how the performers put it across. It would be hard to imagine an ensemble playing it with greater virtuosity than the JACK Quartet, which seemed not merely earnest but also completely comfortable with, and…” quote by Allan Kozinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/allan-kozinn-87367_comfortable_whether-a-listener-absorbs-this-music-or_1279118.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/allan-kozinn-87367_comfortable_whether-a-listener-absorbs-this-music-or_1279118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/allan-kozinn-87367_comfortable_whether-a-listener-absorbs-this-music-or_1279118.jpg)

> “Whether a listener absorbs this music or rebels against it is at least partly a matter of how the performers put it across. It would be hard to imagine an ensemble playing it with greater virtuosity than the JACK Quartet, which seemed not merely earnest but also completely comfortable with, and passionate about, the strange sound worlds at hand.”

[Allan Kozinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-kozinn/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Music perception depends on both the listener’s mindset and the performer’s authenticity; virtuosity shines when artists fully inhabit unconventional sounds.

**In simple terms:** Listening is shaped by performer and mindset.

Key Takeaway

Seek authentic, daring performances.

Themes

music perception authenticity virtuosity

Mood

contemplative analytical

Type

critical educational

When to use this quote

- concert attendance
- music education
- creative collaboration

Key Concepts

listener mindset performer intent genre innovation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your bias affect listening?
- What can you do to appreciate unfamiliar music?

A Different Perspective

Personal taste can limit openness to new sounds.

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[Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Earnest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earnest/) [Ensemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ensemble/) [Ensemble Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ensemble-playing-4128263/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Jack Quartet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jack-quartet-4128264/) [Listeners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listeners/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Performers Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers-hard-4128265/) [Quartets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quartets/) [Rebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebel/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Virtuosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtuosity/) [Virtuosity Jack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtuosity-jack-4128266/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/)

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> [“No tricks, no tools, but talent makes a task truly top class.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/no-tricks-no-tools-but-talent-makes-a-task-truly-top-class/)

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[Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/)

> [Classical virtuosity is more than technique, line, proportion, and balance. It is as if the performer and spectator come together to hold in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/classical-virtuosity-is-more-than-technique-line-proportion-and/)

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> [As far as technique and virtuosity are concerned, I think I am better than Bilozerchev.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-ning/as-far-as-technique-and-virtuosity-are-concerned-i-think-i-am-better/)

[Li Ning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-ning/)

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> [I do feel pretty lucky that I'm not so great at playing and singing, it forces me to make sure I've really got something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-lewis/i-do-feel-pretty-lucky-that-i-m-not-so-great-at-playing-and-singing/)

[Jeffrey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-lewis/)

> [“Concerto soloists need applause. Though virtue is said to be its own reward, no one ever said that about virtuosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-kerman/concerto-soloists-need-applause-though-virtue-is-said-to-be-its-own/)

[Joseph Kerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-kerman/)

> [“Bend the rules only if you have learned them; break the rules only if you have mastered them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/bend-the-rules-only-if-you-have-learned-them-break-the-rules-only-if/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

## More by Allan Kozinn

> [Orchestras seem content to be museums now, even as they wring their hands about dropping subscription sales and graying listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-kozinn/orchestras-seem-content-to-be-museums-now-even-as-they-wring-their/)

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[Explore all 3 Allan Kozinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-kozinn/)

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