China Celebrates Historic Concert

In 1973, newly-hired Philadelphia Orchestra violinist Davyd Booth was called to sub for an ill colleague on a tour to China. This was not just any tour. It was the first ever American symphony tour in Communist China.

China, which had been closed off to the world since 1949, was not a very known entity—“like going to Mars,” Davyd said.(See post one.) 

Life in China was vastly different than anything they’d ever known. (See post two.)
The Philadelphia Orchestra landed in the midst of China’s Cultural Revolution. (See post three.)

The Orchestra carefully navigated potential pitfalls, but were stumped when Madame Mao asked the impossible. Would they play Beethoven's Sixth rather than symphony they had practiced and brought music for: the Fifth. (See post four.) The orchestra had not brought along musical scores other than that which they intended to play, and China officially did not have classical music. However, after a thorough search some scores materialized, and the orchestra gave a favorable performance. (See post five.)
They were surprised by the audience’s reaction, which seemed strained. (see post six.)

Despite the tepid response, that 1973 Tour left a strong impression. Artists like Tan Dun credit his change in life direction to the moment he heard the concert broadcast in the fields where he toiled (see post seven.)

The ’73 tour created a volcanic eruption of classical music (See post eight.eight)

Since that first tour, Davyd and the orchestra have returned to China eleven times. These past few years, they have toured almost every year.

“Our culture in this country has become so overwhelmingly pop-oriented and even though this has also happened pretty strongly in China and Asia, they’ve still kept a very strong and close tie, close association with classical music. That’s one of the key reasons why Asia is one of the great markets for classical music.”

June 2013: Beijing Liaison Nicholas Platt talks with Davyd Booth
at reunion reception between members of Central Philharmonic and musicians of
The Philadelphia Orchestra who were in China in 1973.
(Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Orchestra.)

“Each time that we go back—and especially the past few times we’ve gone back—they make a big deal. We’ve done talks. We’ve done panels with (then liaison) Nicholas Platt. They’ve taken us. There’s really a very strong sense of an incredible historical occasion, an incredible historical event that took place back then.”

To be continued. Next--and final--post: Light Years from '73