ABSTRACT
Legitimacy pressures have pushed symphony orchestras towards a globally dominant logic of ‘pragmatized aesthetics’, which has essentially caused two problems to arise: one that stands in relation to the organizational structure of the symphony orchestra, and one that has reference to the artistic output of the symphony orchestra. More specifically, the dominant logic has pushed the orchestra field towards isomorphic organizational forms and the prioritization of a musical canon. From a historical perspective, this chapter explores the balancing exercise between opposing value regimes in symphony orchestras, which accounts for the emergence of this dominant logic. This chapter suggests that although this compromise of pragmatized aesthetics grants short-term legitimacy to the art organization, it simultaneously reinforces the broader legitimacy crisis it was meant to avert.
