Madame Mao Asks the Impossible

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.)

While the orchestra carefully navigated through potential cultural pitfalls--someone lost a passport, several succumbed to this strange liquor “maotai”—there was a big issue over the music. Madame Mao, who had previously limited acceptable music to the eight operas she had created, had an impossible request.

"Madame Mao" --Jiang Qing

“In ’73 Mao was still alive but he was not making public appearances. It was his wife Mrs. Mao (who was is in charge.) And she was a real tiny lady, but I gather she had incredible power. And everybody so kowtowed  to her, and everybody looked at her for her reactions to everything.

“We had one famous moment when we were scheduled to play Beethoven’s fifth symphony. Well it came down that she didn’t like that. She wanted the orchestra to play Beethoven’s sixth (Pastoral.)

“We didn’t have the music with us.”

(To be continued. Next: Searching China for Beethoven's Sixth.)