Review of new book

A review in the German magazine 'Das Orchester', the main magazine for the orchestral world in the German-speaking lands: 

https://dasorchester.de/artikel/regaining-classical-musics-relevance/

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Regaining Classical Music’s Relevance

Saving the Muse in a Troubled World

Rubrik: Rezension

Verlag/Label: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle
erschienen in: das Orchester 7-8/2025 , Seite 69

Everyone working in the classical music industry, whether as an orchestra, concert hall, festival, promoter, agency, or performer, is reflecting on the relevance of their own work. It is undisputed that circumstances have changed in recent decades. While classical music was still relatively popular among a broad middle class after World War II – at least in Germany – this came to an end, at the latest, with German reunification. This has manifested itself in the numerous structural changes and, above all, in the shrinking of the number of orchestras – from 168 ensembles in 1992 to 129 today. Orchestras in other countries, such as the Netherlands and France, have also been and continue to be affected by cuts and restrictions.

John Borstlap, born in Rotterdam in 1950, composer and writer about music, describes in his book how vulnerable orchestras and music theaters have become in public debate, amid the rise of populist positions. Particularly when they are branded "elitist" in order to question their funding. It is therefore time, he argues, to rethink the classical music industry in order to give it new social relevance, given the immense power of music. Seen in this light, every concert featuring music from the past should simultaneously be a moment of rebirth; death and resurrection are a curious combination. Classical music must not allow itself to be relegated to the corner of a dusty museum. Rather, it must use its resources to find a context for current social issues.

To develop concrete answers, Borstlap embarks on a seven-chapter search for clues in psychology, the spiritual roots of music, the self-definition of social interaction, nature, and the last "golden age" (referring to the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th). In Chapter 6 ("The Desert or The Mountains"), Borstlap examines various developments that have also influenced the relevance of classical music: modernism with its belief in progress and the pursuit of freedom, but also questions of presentation and programming, financing and promotion, information technology, education and upbringing, and even social issues. As a result, Borstlap concludes that classical music, especially as a complex art form, must redefine and develop its social relevance. He is convinced that this can be achieved. A book that is truly worth reading.

Gerald Mertens