To put it bluntly, it is painfully clear that Murakami does not know much about music. Oh, he can spout trivia and trace the careers of famous composers and conductors, but he lacks even the most rudimentary knowledge about music theory — even though he clearly does have the interest, intelligence, and resources (i.e., connections) to learn more.

Which is not, of course, to say that you need to have a "deeper" understanding of music (or any subject) to appreciate it! But I feel like it's more than a little presumptuous to be aware of your ignorance on the topic and yet position yourself as a conversational equal to a highly experienced and respected conductor? I was always taught to do my research prior to an interview; even if we take this as more casual conversations between friends, Murakami sure offers a lot of unsubstantiated opinions and theories.