The author traces the social transformation that shifted music from aristocratic patronage to popular ownership and considers how that democratization affected musical taste and production. He offers critical essays on several prominent contemporary composers, contrasting experimental tendencies—programmatic, sensational, or theoretically driven approaches—with composers who continue the tonal, emotional tradition. The work situates musical developments within broader cultural changes, warns against tendencies that trivialize the art, and highlights constructive forces that sustain expressive, historically grounded composition, concluding with a discussion of the state and prospects of music in America.