Customer Reviews
Tell it Like it is 
2006-07-29
Having known Mr. Morgenstern from years ago in college as well as attending Transylvania Music Camp in Brevard NC with him, I believe he "Tells it like it is" both in his memoirs & in the state & future of music in America. His experiences in his life combined with a long list of professional accomplishments more than qualify him to tell of the problems facing & eating away at the American musical scene. Agree or not with what he has to say, I found comfort in knowing him personally that it was "The truth & nothing but the truth"
A personal memoir, not a true assessment 
2006-02-06
This book starts out with the stated goal of assessing the decline of classical music in the United States and the reasons for it. However, it turns out to be essentially Morgenstern's personal behind-the-scenes memoir of venality and corruption and, in the process of writing it, he limns the all-too-human foibles of the great and near-great. In truth, it is a series of generally none-too-flattering vignettes with interspersed musings. Had the author stated at the outset that his goal was to write his own memoir, the book would have merited at least 4 stars because it is quite readable. Nevertheless, some of the author's more salacious tidbits cannot be confirmed and some have been outright denied by those he claimed participated in certain of the events mentioned. This, in turn, calls into question Morgenstern's ultimate veracity, although not the book's fascination for readers interested in the classical music scene. In fact, the author's conclusion that classical music needs to be more emphasized in elementary school in order for it to continue to (or begin to) thrive in this country is hardly a new insight. I have been hearing it for at least 30 years and perhaps longer. So, take this book for what it is--one man's memoir of his life in classical music. Enjoy it, but don't assume you're reading some sort of ultimate truth.
A Autobiographical View of the Decline of Classical Music 2005-08-25
The state of classical music in America is precarious. Nowhere will the orchestras fill a stadium sized arena like the Rolling Stones are doing in Boston. Why is it in America that the best music of the generations is going so unappreciated?
Mr. Morgenstern writes with a great deal of sadness about the state of classical music in the United States. He offers little encouragment for the future. He would like to see the NEA increase funding to the arts. But in a time like this, the asking of everyone in the country to pay a contribution to arts that they find useless if not objectionable is out of the question.
A good book that clearly states and understands the problem.
An easy read for classical musicians. 2005-02-07
Morgenstern relates the inner workings of conducting, teaching, managing, and performing that goes with being an orchestra player in the U.S., and does so concisely and humourously.
too much wisdom to dismiss 2004-05-11
I have read most of the reviews already posted and wish to add a conciliatory thought.
I am a professional musician in the Cleveland Orchestra. In the interest of objectivity and credibility, I will concede that the book is largely an autobiography and that there are anecdotes and opinions which are gratuitous to the main thrust of the topic. However, I think it is well worth reading this because of the underlying wisdom gained by the experience of someone who started a significant education-oriented music festival and kept it running for so long. Allow yourself to be amused by the stories and experiences and glean the volume of intelligence in the analysis of the problems confronting the classical music world and orchestras today.
I think the fact that this book has stirred so much controversy implies that there is plenty of substance within the narrative so it ought not be dismissed because of its many personal and provocative opinions.
New Information!! 2004-03-27
A memoir of a lifetime in the performing arts--and a forthright commentary on the rapidly deteriorating state of the performing arts in North America.
Morgenstern, Savior of the World 
2003-10-31
Or at least, that's how Sheldon Morgenstern views himself in his book, "No Vivaldi in the Garage". The book claims to be a critical evaluation of the state of affairs in the classical music world, but is really a set of dull memoirs, in which Morgenstern is the Hero (note the capital H). He is harshly critical of people (the more famous, the more critical), but mostly only if one of those "superstars" declines a gig offer from Morgenstern, or makes more money than Morgenstern himself.
He takes great pains to list all of the famous people he's worked with, and all of the famous alumni of the Eastern Music Festival. He is trying to put himself on the map with this book, since he never enjoyed the fame he condemns others for enjoying.
The book is filled with double standards, condemning behavior in others while relating stories of his own similar behavior with a wink and a nod. At the same time he criticizes people for taking advantage of the system in some way, he relates stories of how he took advantage of a landlord in NYC who offered lower rent to struggling musicians who would use the apartment as a studio for private lessons (Morgenstern wasn't offering private lessons). Wink wink.
His condemnation of Yo Yo Ma as someone who doesn't care about children and music education comes not from Yo Yo's direct involvement with kids, but because he declined to play in a concert that Morgenstern put together for the cellist Leonard Rose. Morgenstern never asks why, he just condemns if people don't follow his plans.
He complains that the US allocates a miniscule amount of funds for the arts, but then relates stories of how board members run their orchestras under by squandering the funds they do have. Many of his stories outline symphony orchestras who got back on their feet by restructuring their board. Do you want to pay more taxes so that incompetent boards can waste your money? Or would you rather have orchestras take pains to select a successful board? He doesn't know what the solution is, but he just wants to rail on what the solution isn't.
He complains about board members who meddle in artistic affairs, when often they have no qualifications for doing so (other than being a listening audience member, and Mr. Morgenstern knows the audience's opinion is certainly of no value). Yet, he doesn't mind, being artistically trained himself, meddling in the business affairs of the board.
Speaking of poor solutions, he says it's a waste to have marching bands in high school and college, and that these schools should invest in a guitarist with a large amplifier. Nevermind that fewer students would be participating in music. My brother and sister aren't musically inclined, but they both spent time in the color guard and marching band, and received worlds of good from it, even if they don't play the kind of music Mr. Morgenstern appreciates. But like I said, if you're not enjoying music in the way that Mr. Morgenstern likes, then you shouldn't be involved in music.
Which brings me to another point which truly upset me. He rails on audiences and musicians who don't like Bartok's music or the music of his friends like Gunther Schuller. He praises Beethoven's rebellious nature and the fact that, for quite some time many regarded his music as unintelligible (this seems to be one of the things Morgenstern enjoys about Beethoven). Yet, he devotes an entire chapter to condemning all composers after Bartok, pretty much a blanket condemnation. "Where did all the melodies go?" he asks, and then offers up a dimwitted and naive view as to why composers nowadays are merely trying to create obnoxious noise (in his view, anyway). Mr. Morgenstern, the type of bickering, whining and complaining you employ in your book is one of the main reasons people are losing interest in the classical music world. If classical musicians spend all their time condemning each other on a whim, without researching facts and trying to understand where someone else may be coming from, how can we expect others to be interested? It's like expecting people to want to become members of a dysfunctional family.
I am happy to say I checked this book out of the library. I'm glad I didn't waste a penny on it.
Important book, super title 2003-09-23
This is a witty book, well written, but frightening for those who care about the future of our symphony orchestras. Even the
world famous Philadelphia Orchestra is now facing serious financial problems for all the reasons that Morgenstern describes in No Vivaldi in the Garage. I share his views of what has created the problems faced by so many orchestras, and sadly share his pessimism for the future unless there are visionaries ready to take serious action.
Morgenstern's book also includes a detailed appendix about statistical information I'd not found elsewhere, information about what orchestras should and should not be doing. Highly recommended, by far the best I've yet read on this topic.
mis-named 2003-08-21
The worst feature of this book is the misleading classification
given it by the publisher and others that call this book a
serious book about classical music. It is nothing but an
autobiography, pure and simple. There is nothing wrong with
that in itself, but it is surely wrong to mis-classify a book
like this one.
The author has worked in the classical music field, and it is
simply his personal recollections and experience that make up
the whole of this book, and for that reason, it is considerably
more "personal" than truly informative.
We can only hope his musical ability exceeded his logic.
The author rails constantly throughout his book about our government, and he makes a point to parade his anti-government
marches and attitudes under our nose, and then he cites his
experience in recommending that our classical music be saved
by government subsidies.
So he dislikes our government and its actions, except, well,
maybe in the case of his pet projects, where he might take
our taxpayer money.
Oh, and he also makes it plain he is interested in the taxpayer
money ONLY if it comes with no strings attached. He explains
repeatedly that he can't stand "interference" from anyone,
government or private, who wants to make some imput as to how
that money is spent.
You can read this book, and about all you learn is that the
author doesn't like the government unless it is funding his
own projects, and then only as long as the people heading up
classical music projects can spend the money without any
oversight or monitoring.
His one specific thought for public funding of classical music
is to impose a special gasoline tax on motorists, and he seems
to think it will be such a small amount, no one would mind.
But then, he seems quite surprised to learn, when that idea is
published, that nearly everyone is against it. Why would he be
about the only one surprised?
As a biography, the book isn't all that bad, but the reader needs to keep in mind this is just the writer's personal
recollections and opinions, and his alleged insights into the
world of classical music are very limited.
Anyone truly interested in the reasons for the decline of classical music needs to read the Norman Lebrcht book, "Who Killed Classical Music." That author has done extensive research and conducted numerous interviews with the participants
in that world, and he has documented every facet of the history
of classical music from its recording inception to the present
day. Plus, he names names, in both the best and worst situations, and the book reads at times like a serious research
work, and at other times, it reads like a tabloid. Get both the
facts and interesting personalities there.
This book is largely a waste of time.
I Miss My Orchestra, Buy This Book 2003-08-16
Shame on those who allowed my beloved Tulsa Philharmonic to go out of business. Had they read this book perhaps they would have found a means to keep it alive, to say nothing of the lost jobs for our wonderful musicans. Those in other cities should buy this book before the same thing happens to them -- as has happened and is happening in so many places in the USA. This author explains how each person can help. Don't miss this opportunity to learn what you can do, how you can prevent such a sad state of affairs.
