Books
FORTHCOMING in 2026 (Blackwater Press):
The Disciple: A Wagnerian Tale of Gilded Age New York
(a novel)
A prequel to The Marriage, The Disciple tracks the New York career of Wagner's charismatic New World prophet, Anton Seidl -- a triumphant journey ending in tragedy.
"For several decades now, Joseph Horowitz has been our Cicerone through the delightfully vibrant scenery of Classical Music in Gilded Age America. Such is his love for that almost forgotten chapter of our history that he felt moved to transpose his unmatched knowledge of the era to the more easily accessible plane of fiction. Much of the attractiveness and fascination of this novel rests on the charismatic and enigmatic figure of Anton Seidl, the Hungarian-born conductor who became Richard Wagner’s disciple and emissary to America. "The Disciple" moves dexterously among New York, Bayreuth, and Brooklyn and offers intriguing glimpses of a short-lived but memorable rendezvous of Wagnerism and Feminism. Those who love the cultural history of New York will come away from "The Disciple" both enriched and enlightened."
– Hans Rudolf Vaget (Shedd Professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature Emeritus, Smith College)
The Marriage
The first book-length account of the Mahlers'
tumultuous New York sojourn
(BlackWater Press, 2023)
(Wolke Verlag, 2024)
"On My Way"
A revelatory history of the operatic masterpiece
that both made and destroyed Rouben Mamoulian,
its director and unsung hero
(W.W. Norton & Company, 2013)
Artists in Exile
An Economist Best Book of the Year
A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice
(HarperCollins, Feb 2008)
Dvorak in America
A book for young readers
(Cricket Books, 2003)
Wagner Nights
Named best book of the year by the Society of American Music
(Univ. of California Press, 1994; paperback 1995)
Understanding Toscanini
Named one of the best books of the year by the New York Book Critics Circle
(Knopf, 1987; paperback: Univ. of Minnesota Press,
Univ. of California Press)
The Propaganda of Freedom
Horowitz explores the perils of equating notions of freedom with artistic vitality.
(University of Illinois Press, 2023)
Dvorak's Prophecy
A provocative interpretation of why classical music in America "stayed white"—how it got to be that way and what can be done about it.
(W.W. Norton & Company, 2021)
Moral Fire
"Consistently fascinating, thought-provoking, and rewarding. This book should be of great interest to anyone who loves music." — Mark Volpe, Managing Director, Boston Symphony Orchestra
(University of California Press 2012)
Classical Music in America
Named one of the best books of 2005 by The Economist
(W.W. Norton & Company 2005)
The Post-Classical Predicament
"Passionate and penetrating" - American Record Guide
(Northeastern University Press, 1995)
The Ivory Trade
"A significant book, consistently thoughtful and sympathetic" - Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe
(Summit Books, 1990; paperback: Northeastern University Press)
Conversations with Arrau
"One of the best books about a performing artist ever written" - Andrew Porter, The New Yorker
(Knopf 1982; paperback: Limelight Editions)
Currently in print as Arrau on Music and Performance (Dover)