A new book by American critic Joseph Horowitz tries to explain the current problems of the Classical scene in the USA: "Classical Music in America" is a historic book but also a fervent statement against some of the prevailing attitudes. To Horowitz, the decline of orchestras and the difficulty of finding audiences has everything to do with two deep-rooted characteristics: The "tendency to sacralize the profane" and the "culture of performance". Most damaging, according to Horowitz, has been Toscanini, who branded himself as an unapproachable, almost supernatural being, while merely playing the old repertoire over and over again. These are remarkably harsh words from a man, who has already published a full book on the conductor. To him, Dvorak was the main source of inspiration: Always searching for new challenges and drawing attention to the cultural heritage of the country, such as Indian chants, an attitude that was later mirrored by John Cage and Philip Glass.

Source: Houston Chronicle