Customer Reviews

Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America (William E. Massey Sr. Lectures in the History of American Civilization)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Scene: Three months before my qualifying exams. I have crammed every book on theatre I can think of. I have notecards that I memorize. I have no love of theatre anymore, no interest in the subject, just trying to get through the ordeal that so many of my friends have failed. I don't allow myself to read books for fun, or all the way through. I only skim for facts to drop.

One day this book arrives in the mail with several others I've ordered. I dutifully skim it for facts to put on my notecards. I find myself being drawn in. It is academic reading--I couldn't imagine that it could be all that enjoyable. More importantly I don't have time to enjoy a book. But I am enjoying it, so I decide to let myself really read the first chapter (on Shakespeare).

I can't put it down. I'm reading about museums now, public parks, things that I will never be able to use on my exams, but I love the way he thinks! Not only am I loving Levine's incredible book, but I am even excited about my field again. Levine's book is an incredible gift, a gift that helped me renew my delight in what scholarship and history can do. A model I will never live up to, but will cherish and delight in. And I did pass, quoting Levine not to impress, but out of a real delight in the field and the joy of sharing ideas.

Spanning over one hundred and fifty years, Lawrence W. Levine's Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America, charts the development of culture beginning in the late eighteenth century to the early twentieth century. In Highbrow/Lowbrow, Levine tells the reader through various examples how the United States began with forms of culture celebrated by most of the countryside's population through the years where cultural classes developed and finally to the point where some cultural subjects nearly died off. Through narrow fields of entertainment, he is able to define what was and was not popular culture; how various forms of cultural entertainment were performed and watched or listened to by the general public; and how several key people in the late nineteenth century helped preserve art forms that still exist today. Three distinct areas are covered in the book's three chapters: Chapter One, "William Shakespeare in America" focuses on the popularity and decline of the performance of Shakespeare's works; Chapter Two, "The Sacralization of Culture" highlights the development and developing highbrow status of symphonies and orchestras; and Chapter Three, "Order, Hierarchy and Culture" describes how culture evolved from entertainment for many to culture for few. Lastly, an epilogue from the author briefly expands on culture today versus culture in the past century.

"William Shakespeare in America" chronicles the rise and fall of the performance of Shakespearean plays in the United States from after the Revolutionary War until the end of the nineteenth century. Dramatic performances of Shakespeare were not the norm for the most part, but "...burlesques and parodies...constituted a prominent form of entertainment..." throughout the country. His plays were so popular that they constituted a large portion of theater presented throughout the early-to-mid nineteenth century with the most popular actors and actresses from Europe and America performing. These performances were not limited to the big cities of the eastern seaboard either; they were even performed in small cities throughout the Midwest and western states, like Mud Springs, Cherokee Flat and Rattlesnake in California and mine towns like Silver City, Dayton and Carson City. They were shown with a simple formula: Shakespeare was shown with "...afterpieces and divertissements that surrounded his plays...." Also, the draw to see these plays was strong "...because the people wanted to see great actors who in turn insisted on performing Shakespeare to demonstrate their abilities...." Another point of interest that Levine describes is that plays were seldom true Shakespearean works. Oftentimes the plays were ad-libbed or modified to satisfy the crowd, or the title and content slightly changed to bring about other meanings. For example, a version of Richard III was revised "...by cutting one-third of the lines, eliminating half of the characters, [and] adding scenes from other Shakespearean plays...." However, those who were the self-appointed guardians of high-end theater towards the end of the century, converted Shakespeare "...from a popular playwright whose dramas were the property of those who flocked to see them, into a sacred author who had to be protected from ignorant audiences...."

Next, in "The Sacralization of Culture," Levine does an excellent job of describing how many of the most popular opera houses and symphony orchestras in America were formed. Two big names in the music industry of the day, John Philip Sousa, who is known for his patriotic marches and Henry Lee Higginson, who formed the Boston Symphony Orchestra, are just two of the many cultural revolutionaries Levine discusses in the text. Sousa appealed to the masses, saying that the public would come to appreciate "`high class'" music more if it was interlaced with popular tunes. By contrast, Higginson believed that it was sacrilege to play anything other than classical music in its original form and pandered to the more cultured of society. Even though Higginson made great strides for musicians like paying salaries and starting pensions, he held so strongly to his beliefs for pure music that he operated the symphony at a loss and needed benefactors to keep it afloat. Throughout the chapter, similar subjects are also addressed, such as who should and should not enter museums, what they should wear and how they should conduct themselves once inside.

In "Order, Hierarchy, and Culture," Levine explains how attending events like plays and concerts evolved from "Whispering, talking, laughing, coughing...sneaking snacks, [and] spitting tobacco..." to a "...general success in disciplining and training audiences..." in more respectful behavior. Moreover, museum staffs were dedicated to developing the manners and behaviors of their patrons. One example was the ejecting of a plumber who not only wore his work clothes to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art but visited the museum directly from work. The museum did not want patrons who smelled bad or who had oil and grease stains on their clothes. This policing was not limited to events held indoors. New York's Central Park had so many regulations as to where one could sit, for example, that it was almost not enjoyable to spend any time there. This effort to raise the cultural standards was intended to raise the cultural awareness of society at large.

The epilogue concludes the text stating that isolating certain cultural themes, like opera for example, has diminished its importance overall. Allan Bloom, the author of The Closing of the American Mind, is quoted as saying, "Classical music...is [now] `dead among the young'...."

As was said earlier, Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America does an excellent job of describing the rise and fall of Shakespearean drama in America and further gives an excellent portrayal of the development of opera and orchestral music. Additionally, the chapter dealing with the education and development of the viewing and listening public emphasizes how several art forms fell out of vogue with the general public, being labeled too highbrow for many. Although written in 1988, the reader can easily see parallels to today with the popularity of certain art forms like hip-hop music. The stereotypes still exist which classify those who enjoy that form of entertainment as lowbrow. In contrast, those who attend the symphony are seen as a higher social class. It is unfortunate that the highbrow intellectuals of the late nineteenth century were allowed to classify people and their entertainment tastes to such an extreme. Because of their beliefs, opera, classical music, and Shakespearean plays will never be exposed to many in America who would benefit by and truly enjoy them.

Levine's study indeed had its influence in helping the general public understand the highbrow vs. lowbrow culture; however, there are more vital elements added into the popular culture over changes of time. Whoever appreciates Levine's work will find a greater enjoyment in Swirski's latest book "From Lowbrow to Nobrow". Its up-to-date and valuable insights will help us gain a much deeper understanding about the popular culture of today. It presents more diversities, more profound explanations and more hard evidences. The analysis is sharp and the writing is enjoyabel and neat. If you like Levine, you shouldn't miss Swirski.

Simply put, across the late 19th Century the newly consolidate ruling class of industrial and financial magnates seized control over the definitions of culture, established an iron wall between high and low culture, moved to change the relationship between audience and performer, and between performers and those who dicated culture and owned cultural institutions, and changed museums and libraries from institutions established to broaden knowledge for all into places where the elite contemplate perfection.

Levine is one of the great historians, having done his featured work on African American history and culture. Yet, he writes in clear, understandable language. The book is extremely well referenced with every section's notes being the beginning for scholarship and knowledge on what he speaks.

Published in 1990, the book can hardly be taken to task for developments that have come to fruition since then. Music and culture once seen as alternatives to the Eurocentric approaches to high culture Levine outlines, seem to have proceded along the same lines. Free and post-modern Jazz, once the product of an iconoclast approach to mainline Jazz, has tended to take the view that it is "high art" to be comprehended by the totally advanced versus entertainment, while a politically conservative trend to paint Jazz as the U.S/s "true" classical music demand that Jazz emulate European "classical" music with a canon and repertory orchestras aimed at reproducing that canon. Meanwhile, they expel Jazz artists with strong links to Black popular music and dance from their definitions of Jazz. Few tend to share the views of Art Blakey and others about the need to reestablish Jazz as a form of dance and entertainment music for African Americans.

My own focus has been on traditional Black and European American string band music, marketed as "Old Time Music" by record companies in the 1920s. This music was originally produced as pure entertainment for dancing and amusement for the most humble workers, farmers, share croppers, and small businesspeople of the South. Yet, in OTM there is often such an emphasis on knowledge of the history, folkways, and cultural references that one might think that like the art and drama Levine shows to have been "high browed," some believe that OTM can only be appreciated or performed by those who have amassed sufficient knowledge.

Indeed, the entire hipster approach that emerged in the Jazz age with Jazz, Blues, folk, and other alternative musics mirrors the high brow approach used around high culture. Implict in being a hipster is the belief that whatever may be popular is intrinsictly inferior to that "hip" sound that only a small sector of the knowing can appreciate. Hipsters usually move on once music they deemed "hip" becomes popular.

O

Describes the emergence of a cultural hierarchy in America during the latter years of the 19th century. Points out that during most of the 19th century, Shakespeare (and Shakespearean parodies) enjoyed both cultural and popular status. Similarly, opera was enjoyed by the cultured and unwashed alike. The theaters, museums, and concert houses hosted a wide spectrum of entertainment to heterogeneous audiences. Towards the end of the century, stratification set in. Invidious distinctions were made between high and low culture and never should the twain meet. Slowly, what Levine calls the sacralization of culture set in. Wagner's pretentious distinction between frivolous and serious opera was generally adopted by the few; Patti was criticized for singing popular airs as encores, and symphony conductors became keepers of the holy Grail rather than elegant bandmasters. This dichotomy between the high and low probably peaked in the 1920's. Since then there has again been a moving together of the popular and cultural, albeit there always will be the cultural elite who desperately attempt to co-opt a popular trend and in their fashion, sacralize it. Book is weak on explaining precisely why the change took place in late 1800's. Perhaps something to do with the gilded age, and the attempt of some to distance themselves from the vulgar throng?

Really. This book is so fine, so well written, so fascinating, that I actually re-read it! Mr. Levine, please write more. I've recommended this book to many friends, including scientists who had never shown an interest in literary subjects. I practically forced my best friend--a professional wrestler (!)--to read it. The result: Mr. Levine now has a motley crew of new admirers.

Academia often will mark anything dated ten to fifteen years prior to the present as "dated" simply by the mere fact that its conception took place more than a decade ago. Levine's 1988 tome testifies that this attitude is shortsighted and moreover, erroneous. Levine has written a book that serves both as a history lesson as well as a hopeful plea to reconsider our cultural biases as constructs of our own doing.

Levine does not simplify the situation by presenting a black and white portrait of the American development of high vs. low culture. Instead he offers a well-researched argument supporting a flux in cultural ideas wherein we travel through various redefinitions of culture, both high and low. Investigating the societal milieu surrounding Shakespeare, opera and orchestral music in nineteenth-century America, Levine aptly demonstrates how we arrived at our current struggle to accommodate contrasting ideas about culture.

One need not be an expert in the arts to appreciate the severity of Levine's message. The comprehension of "cultural hierarchy" is absolutely fundamental to understanding our societal existence. One can moreover applaud Levine for tackling the subject in a way that is accessible and easily comprehended by those not ensconced in academic dialogue. His writing is bold and charismatic, making this book a refreshing change from many academic missives which aim to keep the discourse within the walls of the ivory tower. Levine invites us outside those walls by presenting us with an uncracked mirror by which we can clearly see our own responsibilities and reactions to culture in America.