--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The tradition of classical music and the…" description: "\"The tradition of classical music and the opera is such that it used to be the place where social intercourse could take place between all parts of soci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/yo-yo-ma-8612_art_the-tradition-of-classical-music-and-the_1304974.jpg" --- # The tradition of classical music and the opera is such… ![“The tradition of classical music and the opera is such that it used to be the place where social intercourse could take place between all parts of society: politicians, industrialists, artists, citizens, etc. That tradition, I think, still exists, but it's much, much more diluted.” quote by Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/yo-yo-ma-8612_art_the-tradition-of-classical-music-and-the_1304974.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/yo-yo-ma-8612_art_the-tradition-of-classical-music-and-the_1304974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/yo-yo-ma-8612_art_the-tradition-of-classical-music-and-the_1304974.jpg) > “The tradition of classical music and the opera is such that it used to be the place where social intercourse could take place between all parts of society: politicians, industrialists, artists, citizens, etc. That tradition, I think, still exists, but it's much, much more diluted.” [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Classical music once united diverse social groups, but its role as a social hub has weakened. **In simple terms:** Music used to bring all classes together. Key Takeaway Recognize and revive shared cultural spaces. Themes culture social cohesion class artistic community Mood reflective hopeful Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - concert halls - community festivals - educational programs - online streaming Key Concepts social integration elitism cultural dilution Questions to Reflect On - How can music bridge current social divides? - What venues foster genuine cross‑class interaction? A Different Perspective Modern media may fragment audiences further. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Classical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical/) [Classical music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical-music/) [Intercourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intercourse/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/people-are-wrong-when-they-say-opera-is-not-what-it-used-to-be-it-is/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [That was my way, and I also use the music after five years, I started hearing opera, opera, it was very good instrument to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/that-was-my-way-and-i-also-use-the-music-after-five-years-i-started/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [Classical music is one of the best things that ever happened to mankind. If you get introduced to it in the right way, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/classical-music-is-one-of-the-best-things-that-ever-happened-to/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [The Anglo-American tradition is much more linear than the European tradition. If you think about writers like Borges, Calvino, Perec or Marquez, they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-anglo-american-tradition-is-much-more-linear-than-the-european/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Every generation deals with the breaking down of its tradition, and I think that they rediscovered the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-jewison/every-generation-deals-with-the-breaking-down-of-its-tradition-and-i/) [Norman Jewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-jewison/) > [The big tradition, I think, is unity. 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There's a lot of jazz that I don't enjoy listening to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-konitz/i-listen-to-classical-music-very-much-there-s-a-lot-of-jazz-that-i/) [Lee Konitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-konitz/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/) [Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/) ## More by Yo-Yo Ma > [With every year of playing, you want to relax one more muscle. Why? Because the more tense you are, the less you can hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/with-every-year-of-playing-you-want-to-relax-one-more-muscle-why/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [A composition is always more than the sum of its parts. In other words, a really good piece of music is more than itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/a-composition-is-always-more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts-in-other-words/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [Good things happen when you meet strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/good-things-happen-when-you-meet-strangers/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [My involvement in the political arena is to make sure there's a place for culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/my-involvement-in-the-political-arena-is-to-make-sure-there-s-a-place/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [When we enlarge our view of the world, we deepen our understanding of our own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/when-we-enlarge-our-view-of-the-world-we-deepen-our-understanding-of/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [People will ask, 'Are you famous?' 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The second is that when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/one-is-that-you-have-to-take-time-lots-of-time-to-let-an-idea-grow/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [You go through phases. You have to reinvent reasons for playing, and one year's answer might not do for another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/you-go-through-phases-you-have-to-reinvent-reasons-for-playing-and/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [When people ask me how they should approach performance, I always tell them the professional musician should aspire to the state of the beginner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/when-people-ask-me-how-they-should-approach-performance-i-always-tell/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [Mastering music is more than learning technical skills. Practicing is about quality, not quantity. 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Your brain forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/practicing-is-not-only-playing-your-instrument-either-by-yourself-or/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) [Explore all 79 Yo-Yo Ma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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