And the Band Stopped Playing: The Rise and Fall of the San Jose Symphony

This case history of an American symphony orchestra should be required reading for all musicians (including conservatory students), personnel at state and federal arts agencies, and grantmakers in every locality that has a professional symphony orchestra. In fact, anyone interested in the health of our cultural institutions will get something out of it. It's a fine presentation of a sad story that could have, and should have, had a different outcome. D. Nimetz (New York City)

This fall semester I've been teaching a college survey course called "A Night at the Symphony," dealing not only with the usual music-appreciation topics but also the symphony orchestra as an institution. The book has been on the top of our required reading list. It offers a great springboard for student discussions of American orchestras and their links to civic life, economics, demography, politics and power -- areas that don't leap to mind when studying sonata form or Romantic orchestration (!), but are critical to understanding the symphonic world today. I recommend the book highly.

I agree with Mr. Valliere's comments that all of us who care about music, classical music, and its great power, should be willing to ask ourselves the tough questions that Glaze and Wolf ask. At the end of the day, it is not about sustaining the "delivery systems" status quo, but about making the music live for current and new generations. Wolf and Glaze challenge us to examine the status quo critically and that is essential. Bravo for this important and well-researched addition to the too slim bookshelf on the classical field.

I read this book with utter fascination. While certain conclusions will surely rattle some cages, Glaze's and Wolf's candid assessment of the demise of the San Jose Symphony is both troubling and refreshing. By raising the question "Who Needs Symphony Orchestras?" the authors have courageously unmasked the elephant that many would prefer not to see. Of course, the question "Who Needs Symphonic Music?" is a very different question; suggesting that the music may be immortal, but the delivery systems are not. This is a seminal and incisive work.

Wolf and Glaze offer a clear, thorough, and ultimately sobering analysis of the demise of one American orchestra. It is food for thought in dozens of mid-sized cities across the country. It should also be required reading in orchestra management offices and union locals everywhere. This book will be unpopular with those who prefer to whistle in the dark about the threat to the life of classical music performance in the United States. It is thought-provoking and a little stunning to those of us value the musical institutions in our communities. Read this book, and get an extra copy for anyone you know who sits on the boards of the arts organizations in your town.