The Great Orchestrator: Arthur Judson and American Arts Management by James M. Doering (review)

Great Orchestrator: Arthur Judson and American Arts Manage- ment. By James M. Doering. (Music in American Life.) Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2013. [304 p. ISBN 9780252037412. $55.] Illustrations, ta- bles, charts, bibliography, index.Anyone familiar with the history of the American classical music industry is likely to have encountered the name and accom- plishments of Arthur Judson (1881-1975). Although most well-known for his work as an artists' manager, Judson's concurrent appointment as the head of two major American orchestras and the founder of a radio broadcasting company may be even more historically significant. It is not hyper- bole to say that Arthur Judson stood at or near the center of American musical life for half a century, shepherding the American orchestra into its first golden age while asserting bilateral power as both a buyer and seller of musical talent. Despite his larger-than-life reputation, however, Judson's story-including his fall grace following public inquiries into his po- tentially conflicting professional interests- has received scant attention music historians.The explanation behind the lack of scholarly treatment afforded to Judson and his career is fairly mundane: as a behind- the-scenes business manager who spent his time publicizing famous performers, con- ductors, and ensembles, Judson does not fit a prototypical profile ripe for musicological inquiry. Luckily for us, James Doering has put aside these disciplinary norms in a new biography of Judson that chronicles his professional life, from musical genius to corporate villain. Based on Doering's dis- sertation, the book presents a kinder and more nuanced depiction of Judson than the limited scholarship previously pub- lished on the subject (Norman Lebrecht, Who Killed Classical Music?: Maestros, Managers, and Corporate Politics [New York: Birch Lane Press, 1997]; Joseph Horowitz, Classical Music in America: A History of Its Rise and Fall [New York: W. W. Norton, 2005], 416-32). Doering's treatment of Judson also extends beyond the scope of traditional biography, although there is plenty of that here. In addition to uncover- ing how Judson the man was shaped by cer- tain experiences and opportunities pre- sented early in his life, Doering traces the transformation of the orchestra field and explores the complex relationship between music and business more generally. For Doering, Judson's story suggests that music management is about more than dollars and cents; is about assessing challenges, balancing egos, crafting compromises, and in the process trying not to lose sight of the musical goals that bind those things to- gether (p. 11). While Doering does an ad- mirable job of contextualizing Judson's personal history within the broader shift in American concert culture, it remains un- clear whether Judson's vision was a catalyst for, or consequence of, this development.The book is broken into three parts: Discovering the Audience, 1900-1921, Cooperation and Cultivation, 1921-1942, and The Empire of Diminishing Returns, 1942-1956. Although the bulk of Doe- ring's analysis is organized chronologically, certain sections emphasize thematic conti- nuity, tracing Judson's various career trajec- tories in artist management, orchestra administration, and radio. Before charting any of these paths, however, Doering intro- duces us to a different Arthur Judson-one that foreshadows a lifelong interest in and commitment to audience development. Trained as a violinist, Judson first cut his teeth as a performing musician and teacher, serving as a professor and then dean of music at Denison University in Ohio. Despite his ambitions to be a virtu- oso performer, however, it quickly became clear that Judson's true talents lay in management and organization. While at Denison, he strengthened music's position in the general curriculum, convincing the university's administration to recognize non-majors enrolled in music classes for credit. …