The Growing Gap Between European and American Orchestras
Joseph Horowitz argues that a widening gap between top European and American orchestras reflects a deeper failure of US classical music to absorb European parent culture and develop its own roots. He contrasts the distinct styles of historic American orchestras—Boston Symphony (Russian-influenced), New York Philharmonic (Italianate), Philadelphia Orchestra (Stokowski's unique sound)—with today's diminished motivation among players. Horowitz cites the Berlin Philharmonic's dark sonic signature and the Vienna Philharmonic's waltz mastery as examples of retained European traditions. He laments the lack of an American canon, suggesting Gershwin and Ives as lost progenitors. Norman Lebrecht's Slipped Disc post highlights retreat on most fronts: classical music eradicated from public education, half-empty halls in Boston and Pittsburgh, few African-American musicians, reliance on Asian players, and European maestros showing little interest in US posts. Horowitz proposes solutions: study performance history, expose students to jazz, and teach Central European dance styles.
Key facts
- Horowitz identifies a growing gap between top European and American orchestras.
- Historic American orchestras had distinct styles: Boston Symphony (Russian), New York Philharmonic (Italianate), Philadelphia (Stokowski).
- Berlin Philharmonic retains a dark sonic signature from Furtwängler; Vienna Philharmonic excels in waltz and Mozart.
- Norman Lebrecht's Slipped Disc post lists European maestros with little interest in US: Kirill Petrenko, Rattle, Chailly, Gatti, Simone Young, Thielemann, Guggeis, Pappano, Lahav Shani, Bychkov, Popelka, Jakub Hrusa, Marie Jacquot, Lorenzo Viotti, Tomáš Netopil, Philippe Jordan, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Kazuki Yamada, Ivan Fischer, Adam Fischer, Robin Ticciati.
- Classical music has been eradicated from US public education.
- Historic orchestras in Boston and Pittsburgh play to half-empty halls.
- African-American musicians in orchestras are few; ensembles are sustained by US-trained Chinese and Korean players.
- Horowitz suggests studying performance history, exposing students to jazz, and teaching Central European dance styles.
Entities
Artists
- Joseph Horowitz
- Kenneth Woods
- Arturo Toscanini
- Serge Koussevitzky
- Ettore Panizza
- Artur Bodanzky
- Leopold Stokowski
- Yevgeny Mravinsky
- Charles Ives
- George Gershwin
- David Chesky
- Jon Vickers
- Glenn Gould
- Leonard Bernstein
- Kirill Petrenko
- Klaus Makela
- Wilhelm Furtwängler
- Bettina Gradinger
- Tscho Theissing
- Norman Lebrecht
- Daniele Gatti
- Ivan Fischer
- Valery Gergiev
- Alexander Toradze
- Kirsten Flagstad
- Lauritz Melchior
- Sergei Rachmaninoff
- Hilde Gueden
- Charles Edward Russell
- Simon Rattle
- Riccardo Chailly
- Simone Young
- Christian Thielemann
- Daniel Guggis
- Antonio Pappano
- Lahav Shani
- Semyon Bychkov
- Patrick Popelka
- Jakub Hrusa
- Marie Jacquot
- Lorenzo Viotti
- Tomáš Netopil
- Philippe Jordan
- Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
- Kazuki Yamada
- Adam Fischer
- Robin Ticciati
- Franz Lehár
- Johann Strauss II
- Richard Strauss
- Pauline Strauss
Institutions
- Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
- Boston Symphony Orchestra
- New York Philharmonic
- Philadelphia Orchestra
- Berlin Philharmonic
- Vienna Philharmonic
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Leningrad Philharmonic
- Budapest Festival Orchestra
- Mariinsky Orchestra
- Wiener Theatermusiker
- Vienna Volksoper
- Carnegie Hall
- Staatsoper
- Bell Labs
- ArtsJournal
- Slipped Disc
- The New York Times
Locations
- United States
- Europe
- Boston
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Chicago
- Pittsburgh
- Los Angeles
- Vienna
- Berlin
- Steinbach
- Budapest