Classical Music: Expect the Unexpected

Classical music finds itself in a state of crisis now with some orchestras folding, and ticket sales in and of themselves not being able to cover the costs of the whole enterprise. Efforts are underway to fundraise in order to keep the symphony affordable and the concert-goers more economically and ethnically diverse. There is also the younger generation that will not perpetuate these traditions if they are not exposed to this complicated, fascinating, and intellectual musical form.

Kent Nagano, a European musical composer and conductor who was raised in Morro Bay, California, with writer Inge Kloepper, tells an impassioned story about Nagano’s lifelong interest in the musical art form. Classical Music, Expect the Unexpected, translated from German, gives a broad treatment to the subject and provides some fascinating backstory to a musical form that usually just mystifies and moves us in a way we can not always explain. Nagano’s plea is urgent and heartfelt. He writes personally but also has chapters about some of the important classical music icons of the ages, past and contemporary. This is a fascinating exploration that gives an inside perspective of this traditional endeavor, bringing the form, its practitioners, and its achievements to light. One is not likely to finish this book asking, “So what if it goes to the wayside?”