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    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Japan's Fake Beethoven

    Japanese Olympic figure skater Daisuke Takahashi will probably be remembered for something other than his technical skill on the Sochi ice. Unfortunately, he chose to skate to music composed by one of Japan’s most beloved composers - who, it turns out, is a total fraud.

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    By Madeleine Brand • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    Japanese Olympic figure skater Daisuke Takahashi will probably be remembered for something other than his technical skill on the Sochi ice. Unfortunately, he chose to skate to music composed by one of Japan’s most beloved composers - who, it turns out, is a total fraud. We’ll get the background on Mamoru Samuragochi, who admits that he didn’t write his famous pieces and has been exaggerating about his hearing loss.

    The full episode

    4 of 6
    Drought, Jamzilla and Japan's Fake Beethoven
    1. 0:00Farming Through the Drought
    2. 7:33How Long Will This Last?
    3. 13:43Robocop, Noah's Ark and Shia LaBeouf
    4. 24:42Japan's Fake BeethovenYou’re reading this
    5. 33:34The Olympic's Dancing Luger
    6. 40:11Jamzilla, Self-Aware Cars and Corvette Calamity
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Andrew Walsh

      Too Beautiful to Live

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Matt Holzman

      Producer, 'The Document'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Roland Kelts

      author and journalist

      News

    The full episode

    4 of 6
    Drought, Jamzilla and Japan's Fake Beethoven
    1. 0:00Farming Through the Drought
    2. 7:33How Long Will This Last?
    3. 13:43Robocop, Noah's Ark and Shia LaBeouf
    4. 24:42Japan's Fake BeethovenYou’re reading this
    5. 33:34The Olympic's Dancing Luger
    6. 40:11Jamzilla, Self-Aware Cars and Corvette Calamity
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand