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By David Amos
 SAN DIEGO—We have all heard of prejudices or biases which people have toward other races, genders, religions, and national origins. We even have laws which protect the accused, the victims. But, what about prejudices in the arts? Here, the word “discriminate” becomes legitimate. There are so many cases, and all of us, to a greater or lesser degree can fall in the trap of preconceived notions, or what Mark Twain called “cultural pretentiousness."
Let me cite a few examples.
There is a generally accepted idea on the other side of the Atlantic that American music can never, and will never be as good as its European equivalents. No matter how worthy a serious composition by an American may be, “it can never reach the level and depth of European music." Many people are convinced of this, even some serious professionals and music enthusiasts from our own country.
I saw a review of a wonderfully satisfying recording of American symphonic music in a French publication, which made its point quite clearly: “The music is quite acceptable, if you consider that it is American!” A British magazine mentioned that the music in question (another album) was “a little too American for serious consideration.”
But our European friends do not have the exclusivity on badly veiled superficial sophistication. Someone once told me, “Sibelius’ music is cold, just like his country, Finland. After all, how can a composer living in this climate write a warm melody?” Wrong.
Following this illogic, there are many Jews and Israelis who feel that Jewish elements and references in concert music diminish its value. A quote: “ Even in the hands of serious composers, synagogue chants and Hebraic references can not reach the greatness of Masses and Requiems by masters such as Bach, Berlioz, or Brahms,: There is no question in my mind that we have a self-initiated inferiority complex about our own culture and music. Deep, insightful Jewish music is not all at the level of “I have a Little Dreidel!” But, that is what Wagner said in 1850 about Jews and their music.
When you see me in person, I can cite you many other examples of the above.
You may see and hear the same music on two compact discs, one recorded by the Berlin Philharmonic, and another by, say, the Phoenix Symphony. Why do we automatically assume that the Berlin album is superior? Chances are that it is, but Von-Karajan also had his bad days, (and to my opinion, he had more than a few of those), and not all his recordings are pristine examples of artistic and technical perfection.
Our unheralded regional U.S. orchestra might have taken the same music with a conductor who studied and lived with the music for a long time, rehearsed it more thoroughly, taken it
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on tour, and gave the recording sessions as much time as necessary in order to produce a superior product. If you listen to both recordings objectively, I challenge you to disagree with me, unless you claim that “The Berlin Philharmonic is the Berlin Philharmonic, case closed." Another case of musical prejudice. But, how would you do on a blind test?
An enthusiastic concertgoer once told me, “The Three Tenors (Pavarotti, Domingo, and Carreras), are the greatest. Why waste my time and money to hear any other tenor sing?” Here, there is not only ignorance and/or overblown snobbism, but a dangerous concept. We may love and worship our superstars, but, as I have noted in the past, many of the greats in the world today, performers and composers, are not household names, but their musical abilities and artistry are often superior to our chosen artists in those mythical musical pedestals. We may be hurting the career of a promising, emerging musician.
And, as you might expect, all of us have our share of musical friends who suggest that they possess such refined musical tastes and sharp, trained ears, when in fact, if given a blind musical test, could hardly tell the difference between a Pinchas Zuckerman and a gifted eighteen year old violinist, studying at such and such conservatory, but totally unknown in international music circles.
Another falsity I sometimes hear is a variation of “He came from Russian parents, and therefore, he must have superior musical instincts," Yes, family, genes, and cultural tradition have a great influence in our artistic development, but it is dangerous to assume that such gifts are automatically transmitted.
Half a century ago and before, emerging new musical talents showed their pedigree through the master who taught them, or the conservatory which they attended. You could tell immediately if a young man or woman had studied with Heifetz, Galamian, Gingold, or many other celebrated teachers who were so recognized by their distinctive musical style. The stamp of the teacher was obvious.
Today, younger conductors, singers or instrumentalists tend to sound very much alike. You hear a gifted Polish pianist, and you could not point out by his style as to who was his teacher or which school of music he attended. Was it USC? Juilliard? Curtis, Eastman, Peabody, Indiana, London, Zurich, or Paris? The lines of distinction are not so clear anymore.
And since we are on the subject, I need to help dispel the myth that European orchestras are superior to American orchestras. Nonsense! Yes, there are the great ones, the London orchestras, and the resident orchestras in Berlin, Tel-Aviv, Amsterdam, St. Petersburg, Vienna, and so on. But pound for pound, in the larger picture, the American orchestras play and sound better, and have personnel of superior musicians.
If you take the top twenty orchestras outside the United States, anywhere in the worlds, and objectively compare them to the top 20 orchestras in our country, the results will be self evident.
I hope that this minor rant has broadened your perspectives of ingrained musical assumptions, and allow you to expand your musical pleasures.
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