--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you go to Japan for instance, you…" description: "\"If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. But if you play with them Mozart, Debus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-masur-23002_beethoven_if-you-go-to-japan-for-instance-you-shou_2721044.jpg" --- # If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they… ![“If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. But if you play with them Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn, they have a wonderful light feeling for that.” quote by Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-masur-23002_beethoven_if-you-go-to-japan-for-instance-you-shou_2721044.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-masur-23002_beethoven_if-you-go-to-japan-for-instance-you-shou_2721044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-masur-23002_beethoven_if-you-go-to-japan-for-instance-you-shou_2721044.jpg) > “If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. But if you play with them Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn, they have a wonderful light feeling for that.” [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Different cultures bring unique emotional nuances to interpreting Western classical composers, reflecting local aesthetic sensibilities. **In simple terms:** Cultural background shapes musical expression. Key Takeaway Listen to diverse performances to broaden perspective. Themes culture music interpretation aesthetics Mood reflective appreciative Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - concert attendance - music education - cross‑cultural collaborations Key Concepts cultural relativism musical perception Questions to Reflect On - How does your cultural background affect your listening? - Can you hear the same piece differently after learning about another culture? A Different Perspective Interpretations may be influenced by personal bias, not just culture. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beethoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beethoven/) [Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brahms/) [Brahms Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brahms-play-2881471/) [Debussy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debussy/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Instance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instance/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Mendelssohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mendelssohn/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-mozart-552433/) [Playing Beethoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-beethoven-763425/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [That was one of the big problems when I was at Harvard studying music. We had to write choral pieces in the style of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-carter/that-was-one-of-the-big-problems-when-i-was-at-harvard-studying-music/) [Elliott Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-carter/) > [The Germans have four violin concertos. The greatest, most uncompromising is Beethoven’s. The one by Brahms vies with it in seriousness. The richest, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joachim/the-germans-have-four-violin-concertos-the-greatest-most/) [Joseph Joachim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joachim/) > [Some people really want to play Mozart and be just performers. I was more interested in invention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lacy/some-people-really-want-to-play-mozart-and-be-just-performers-i-was/) [Steve Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lacy/) > [“We are going to pick up our instruments and play Mozart,” Honoria announced. “And we are going to do it with smiles on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/we-are-going-to-pick-up-our-instruments-and-play-mozart-honoria/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [It may be that when the angels go about their task praising God, they play only Bach. I am sure, however, that when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/it-may-be-that-when-the-angels-go-about-their-task-praising-god-they/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [There's so many different ways to play Mozart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-hahn/there-s-so-many-different-ways-to-play-mozart/) [Hilary Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-hahn/) > [Whether the angels play only Bach praising God, I am not quite sure. I am sure, however, that en famille they play Mozart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/whether-the-angels-play-only-bach-praising-god-i-am-not-quite-sure-i/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [Between 1958 and 1963, I sold about 40 million records - to the shock of my mother and father because I was always playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-sedaka/between-1958-and-1963-i-sold-about-40-million-records-to-the-shock-of/) [Neil Sedaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-sedaka/) > [It's funny, because in 1970 I met the Beatles quite by a chance at a party. It was the Beethoven bicentenary, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/it-s-funny-because-in-1970-i-met-the-beatles-quite-by-a-chance-at-a/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [Play Mozart in memory of me - and I will hear you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/play-mozart-in-memory-of-me-and-i-will-hear-you/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [We built a bit of an audience at our university in Cambridge, playing Beethoven and Mozart quartets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-chatto/we-built-a-bit-of-an-audience-at-our-university-in-cambridge-playing/) [Grace Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-chatto/) > [When you play Mozart, it's so clean, it's so simple. It's the body naked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-dudamel/when-you-play-mozart-it-s-so-clean-it-s-so-simple-it-s-the-body-naked/) [Gustavo Dudamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-dudamel/) > [Yesterday I was playing Beethoven's fifth, because I love that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-armatrading/yesterday-i-was-playing-beethoven-s-fifth-because-i-love-that/) [Joan Armatrading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-armatrading/) > [If a professional musician in a symphony orchestra is playing Beethoven. But this particular orchestra have played this particular chestnut so many times, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fripp/if-a-professional-musician-in-a-symphony-orchestra-is-playing/) [Robert Fripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fripp/) > [Studying music involves a lot of mathematics and a lot of exercises of memory. Or you've got to be able to be like somebody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/studying-music-involves-a-lot-of-mathematics-and-a-lot-of-exercises/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) ## More by Kurt Masur > [I believe so, but at first he must know. He must know in which spirit Beethoven has composed this piece. He must try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/i-believe-so-but-at-first-he-must-know-he-must-know-in-which-spirit/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [You know as I started as a shy young conductor, I always wanted to cooperate. To build up the musicians. To help them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/you-know-as-i-started-as-a-shy-young-conductor-i-always-wanted-to/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [You have to change your mind with every orchestra because every orchestra has a different character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/you-have-to-change-your-mind-with-every-orchestra-because-every/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [And to understand this, I think this is a most important point where I would like always to be understood what we do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/and-to-understand-this-i-think-this-is-a-most-important-point-where-i/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [Since the composer has said everything, if you discover everything, it will be enough and you will be a happy man. Don't try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/since-the-composer-has-said-everything-if-you-discover-everything-it/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [I always imagined that to bring an orchestra to play together is not enough for a conductor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/i-always-imagined-that-to-bring-an-orchestra-to-play-together-is-not/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [Even my family laughed at me because they thought this young guy who's always stuttering in front of other people should be in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/even-my-family-laughed-at-me-because-they-thought-this-young-guy-who/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [Young conductors who are confident enough, they very often have success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/young-conductors-who-are-confident-enough-they-very-often-have-success/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [And at the same time, I had my very first concert at the age of 16. I hadn't heard a symphony orchestra before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/and-at-the-same-time-i-had-my-very-first-concert-at-the-age-of-16-i/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [At the age of 16, something happened with my finger and the doctor told me, you never can be a organist or pianist, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/at-the-age-of-16-something-happened-with-my-finger-and-the-doctor/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [In South America, I heard the 8th Symphony of Beethoven. And the young conductor thought, Beethoven must be heroic. But this is piece which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/in-south-america-i-heard-the-8th-symphony-of-beethoven-and-the-young/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [And if you are strong enough, then you can grow as a conductor more and more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/and-if-you-are-strong-enough-then-you-can-grow-as-a-conductor-more/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [I was different from most young conductors today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/i-was-different-from-most-young-conductors-today/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [Even I had no opportunity to conduct very many concerts after World War II.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/even-i-had-no-opportunity-to-conduct-very-many-concerts-after-world/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [Very often, if I know the orchestra doesn't know a piece or it's a new piece, I have main ideas about it. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/very-often-if-i-know-the-orchestra-doesn-t-know-a-piece-or-it-s-a-new/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) [Explore all 26 Kurt Masur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) ## More Beethoven quotes > [For me, musicians are poets. Beethoven describes himself as a poet of tones, just like Coltrane's a poet of tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/for-me-musicians-are-poets-beethoven-describes-himself-as-a-poet-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I believe so, but at first he must know. He must know in which spirit Beethoven has composed this piece. He must try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/i-believe-so-but-at-first-he-must-know-he-must-know-in-which-spirit/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [And now, in honour of the 150th anniversary of Beethoven's death, I would like to play 'Clear the Saloon', er, 'Clair de Lune', by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-borge/and-now-in-honour-of-the-150th-anniversary-of-beethoven-s-death-i/) [Victor Borge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-borge/) > [“That Beethoven was capable of producing the ultimate musical definition of heroism in this context is itself extraordinary, for he was able to evoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-solomon/that-beethoven-was-capable-of-producing-the-ultimate-musical/) [Maynard Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-solomon/) > [“He had said it bravely, and that is why one can trust Beethoven when he says other things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/he-had-said-it-bravely-and-that-is-why-one-can-trust-beethoven-when/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [The point of recapitulation in the first movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony unleashes one of the most horrifyingly violent episodes in the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mcclary/the-point-of-recapitulation-in-the-first-movement-of-beethoven-s/) [Susan McClary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mcclary/) > [“You'll have a good, secure life when being alive means more to you than security, love more than money, your freedom more than public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/you-ll-have-a-good-secure-life-when-being-alive-means-more-to-you/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [I shall never forget Juliek. How could I forget this concert given before an audience of the dead and dying? Even today, when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-shall-never-forget-juliek-how-could-i-forget-this-concert-given/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Did Beethoven create his symphonies for his glorification? I don't believe it. I believe he created them because the music in his soul demanded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/did-beethoven-create-his-symphonies-for-his-glorification-i-don-t/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“On behalf of all that is good and melodic, Ludwig van Beethoven, I apologize.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-strohmeyer/on-behalf-of-all-that-is-good-and-melodic-ludwig-van-beethoven-i/) [Sarah Strohmeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-strohmeyer/) > [Beethoven can't really be great because his picture isn't on a bubble gum card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/beethoven-can-t-really-be-great-because-his-picture-isn-t-on-a-bubble/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“I hope Ludwig van Beethoven gets his cut, Langdon thought, fairly certain that the original inventor of bone conduction technology was the eighteenth-century composer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/i-hope-ludwig-van-beethoven-gets-his-cut-langdon-thought-fairly/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“A deaf composer's like a cook who's lost his sense of taste. A frog that's lost its webbed feet. A truck driver with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-deaf-composer-s-like-a-cook-who-s-lost-his-sense-of-taste-a-frog/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Pulse as an active means of expression, Stravinsky and Beethoven are the two masters of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-pekka-salonen/pulse-as-an-active-means-of-expression-stravinsky-and-beethoven-are/) [Esa-Pekka Salonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esa-pekka-salonen/) > [I think there are very few people that I would give the title of genius to, really, but Beethoven unquestionably is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-think-there-are-very-few-people-that-i-would-give-the-title-of/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) [Browse all 240 Beethoven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beethoven/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. 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