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Joe Horowitz on music

“An Act of Empathy” — a Dvorak Radio Documentary

December 29, 2020 by Joe Horowitz 2 Comments

When PostClassical Ensemble produced an hour-long film about Dvorak and “the American experience of race” last September, we hardly envisioned turning it into a 45-minute public radio special for the holidays. But that’s what happened, thanks to an invitation from Rupert Allman, who produces the nationally distributed radio magazine “1A.” You can hear, it and read about … [Read more...] about “An Act of Empathy” — a Dvorak Radio Documentary

The Erasure of the Arts

December 22, 2020 by Joe Horowitz 7 Comments

This week’s The American Purpose carries another of my essays on the erasure of the arts from the American experience – how it happened and what to do about it. It’s a sequel to my piece in the current American Scholar on the impact of the pandemic on culture. My new piece takes the form of a response to The Upswing, the important new book co-authored by the sociologist … [Read more...] about The Erasure of the Arts

FDR, Radio, and What’s Wrong Today

December 9, 2020 by Joe Horowitz 4 Comments

“I can recall walking eastward on the Chicago Midway on a summer evening. . . . Under [the elms] drivers had pulled over, parking bumper to bumper, and turned on their radios to hear Roosevelt. They had rolled down the windows and opened the car doors. Everywhere the same voice, in old Eastern accent, which in anyone else would have irritated Midwesterners. You could follow … [Read more...] about FDR, Radio, and What’s Wrong Today

The Pandemic and the Arts: A “Climate of Fear” and “Radical Upheaval”

December 7, 2020 by Joe Horowitz 2 Comments

The current American Scholar includes my 8,000-word essay on the impact of the pandemic on the arts in the US. It seems to me a terribly important topic -- please find time to read the whole thing. Here’s a readers’ guide: I begin by contrasting the European rush to “rescue our cultural institutions” to an eerie American silence. I write: “Why is no one in Congress or … [Read more...] about The Pandemic and the Arts: A “Climate of Fear” and “Radical Upheaval”

Bernard Herrmann’s “Whitman” — A Subversive Yet Inspirational Entertainment for Today

October 15, 2020 by Joe Horowitz Leave a Comment

In 1944, Bernard Herrmann collaborated with the producer Norman Corwin on “Whitman,” a half-hour dramatic presentation invoking America’s iconic poet to rally the home front during World War II. It was heard by millions of listeners. It’s a classic exemplar of a forgotten creative genre: the radio drama.  The clip at the top of this column samples a moment of hypnotic … [Read more...] about Bernard Herrmann’s “Whitman” — A Subversive Yet Inspirational Entertainment for Today

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About Joe Horowitz

Joseph Horowitz is an award-winning author, concert producer, film-maker, broadcaster, and pianist/composer. He is one of the most prominent and widely published writers on topics in American music. As an orchestral administrator and advisor, he has been a pioneering force in the development of … [more] about Joseph Horowitz

About Unanswered Question

When a few years ago Doug McLennan invited me to write an ArtsJournal blog, I thought about it and said no. Having been born as long ago as 1948, I remain somewhat a stranger to the internet. And, as I am always writing a book (a form of therapy) when I am not producing concerts, I felt I didn't … [more] about The Unanswered Question

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