The Orchestra, a Fetish of High Culture

It is a serious mistake to assume that a “symphony orchestra” automatically equals “culture.” It can, but it doesn’t have to. Very often, the presence of a symphony orchestra signals the opposite: a lack of true cultural depth.

For example, in smaller provincial towns, an orchestra might exist simply to satisfy the city’s elites, who, to feel “cultured,” want to hear Beethoven’s Fifth—but would never dream of listening to, say, Toru Takemitsu’s Dorian Horizon (1966)!