American Diary

Extract

With the end of the war the already existing boom in music in the United States has grown still larger. Opera, ballet, symphony concerts, recitals, radio music, and now even musical films are attracting audiences on a scale hitherto unknown. ‘Sold Out’ is a commonplace at the auditoriums, and fees for artists are higher than ever. Such is the season 1945–46. It may be attributed to various causes: relief from war anxiety, returning soldiers, the influence of radio. All of these are important factors, but increased spending power is perhaps the biggest. The public have money to spend—savings, perhaps—and although much of it is going into light entertainment, there is also a remarkable flow in the direction of serious music.