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Beethoven can write music, thank God, but he can do nothing else on earth.

Playing the Beethoven symphonies, for example, is a consummate experience for a musician because Beethoven speaks so directly to who we are as people.

There are different people who got me into music, but what I liked about Beethoven is that even when I didn't understand it or it was too long, there's still something about it that drove me to it. Then it got me excited about actually learning music, like a theory of it.

I hate playing the piano! And it's so hard to fight for Beethoven's soul! But that's what I have to do!

After working with Ligeti I began to hear Brahms and Beethoven differently.

Frank Zappa... was Beethoven for insane rock guys.

I occasionally play works by contemporary composers and for two reasons. First to discourage the composer from writing any more and secondly to remind myself how much I appreciate Beethoven.

I do not sing nor play, but I adore music, particularly Chopin. I like him because I cannot understand him.

Anyone who knows classical music and loves classical music has heard the Beethoven Seventh hundreds of times probably in their life.