Classical Music in America: A History of Its Rise and Fall by Joseph Horowitz


Classical Music in America: A History of Its Rise and Fall
Title : Classical Music in America: A History of Its Rise and Fall
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0393057178
ISBN-10 : 9780393057171
Language : English
Format Type : Hardcover
Number of Pages : 624
Publication : First published March 1, 2005

"An opinionated, stimulating account of how classical music failed to establish fruitful roots in America," Classical Music in America chronicles "a cultural attitude that has produced many fine artists and striking moments-but no institutional or intellectual support to sustain them" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). "An admirable, scholarly volume" (Times Literary Supplement), this "formidable book ... shows how American classical music became a ‘performance culture,' an ersatz-European showplace for celebrity virtuosos, rather than a native-born genre" (The New Yorker). "As a comprehensive, convincing analysis of the contemporary dilemma" of reconciling European heritage with American vision "and a riveting portrait of the century and a half of events and personalities which brought it about, Mr Horowitz's account would be hard to beat" (The Economist). "Anyone seeking to understand why American classical music has come to so dead an end-and wondering how it might yet escape a final descent into cultural irrelevance-should read Classical Music in America with close attention" (Commentary).

Classical Music in America: A History of Its Rise and Fall Reviews

  • Robert Costic

    A truly comprehensive history of classical music in the United States. It’s thoroughness is also a bit of my criticism, which is that it’s so intent on covering every detail it can get bogged down into some extremely dry passages. One that immediately comes to mind was a blow-by-blow of when surtitles were introduced in each opera house, who introduced them, and who resisted them. I could finish this book only by glazing over such passages, but there is much else that is worthwhile.

  • Jenny (Reading Envy)

    I suspect this book has the impact in musicology that "The World is Flat" has had in other fields. I see it referenced in journal articles, speeches at conferences, and so on. Basically, Horowitz believes that since classical music is not native to the United States, it is destined to become instinct. He chronicles (in detail) the history of the symphony, opera, the composer, and the performer, by focusing on specific examples. It's actually a great study of American classical music history, even if you don't agree with his final conclusions.

  • Karl

    Horowitz includes a great wealth of historical fact, of the sort which made the book an absorbing, obsessive read. Some of the book's orientation serves Horowitz's tendency to cultural hand-wringing (to wit: the subtitle, sensibly abandoned in the paperback reissue); but with judicious filtration, a very good book.

  • Sam

    This is actually two 200+-pages books in one: first the history of classical music organizations & leaders, and the second the rise of great performers: in the 19th century the concept of "classical music" developed, the idea that there was a body of artistically- and sometimes spiritually-elevated European compositions, as opposed to pop or folk music, and then there was an attempt to create an American national contemporary classical music, which ultimately failed, leaving a mostly static body of work along with a cult of virtuosic performance. This is an easy-to-read informative history with the Horowitz's agenda tacked on briefly at the end: musical relevance requires a central role for living composers.