Description: The year 1917 was unlike any other in American history, or in the history of American music. The United States entered World War I, jazz burst onto the national scene, and the German musicians who dominated classical music were forced from the stage. In this unsettled time, no one was safe from suspicion, but America's passion for music made the rewards high for those who could balance musical skill with diplomatic savvy.
Review Quotes: "Following a diva, two conductors, two virtuoso soloists, and three bandleaders into, variously, military deployment, forced retirement, and the bottom of a bottle, Bomberger interrogates the national character of American art and artists." -- The New Yorker
"Making Music American has a satisfying structure and natural propulsion." -- Wall Street Journal"The narrative propels you through 223 engaging pages as you bounce from character to character as if in a novel. Thought of as a picture of a moment rather than a case for the importance of 1917, the book is thoroughly enjoyable." -- Syncopated Times"History, when done well, should look backwardÂand forward at the same time. Bomberger's Making Music American: 1917 and the Transformation of Culture is a rich look at a pivotal moment in American political and musical history. The study's interwoven narratives of musical lives encourage viewing America's present cultural landscape with one eye to how we got here and the other eye to what might come next, all the while with engaging stories of some of the artists who contributed most to shaping culture in America and around the world." -- WOSU"Making Music American is an important work of cultural history with an abundance of significant macro- and micro-historical implications." -- Journal of Musicological Research"A thoroughly researched and exciting history with all of the drama of a towering epic. Highly recommended for music lovers and history buffs alike." -- Fanfare"compelling ... Highly recommended." -- P. D. Sanders, CHOICE"A fascinating and illuminating cultural history of America as experienced through the eyes and ears of her creative citizens living through one of the seminal years of our country's past. A story that defines so much of the world we live in today, kaleidoscopic in its approach and gripping in its account of sequential events of profound impact that often go unrecognized. This is the kind of history writing that I love; I couldnât put it down." -- Thomas Hampson"A hundred years ago almost everything changed in American music - and we are still living with the after effects today. This important book by E. Douglas Bomberger tells the fascinating story of how the United States found its own musical identity at a time of global crisis and war." -- Ted Gioia, music historian and author of The History of Jazz