It is important, i think, to remember that when Marlboro was first conceived (by my grandfather, Adolf Busch), classical chamber music was not at all a part of the U.S. culture. The very few groups that existed were almost all European, and the audiences were mainly European as well. If nothing else, Marlboro served as a catalyst to change all that.
The spirit that seemed to define Marlboro was the shared love of music, the celebration of it, and the dedication to trying to serve the works studied in the deepest sense possible, which, it was believed, could only happen through a great deal of exploratory rehearsals.
Marlboro has never been unblemished by hypocrisy, but overall i think it is amazing that it has managed to keep that original intent of building a strong community on a shared love of
music. In these troubled times, especially, it offers some kind of hope, a sense of devotion and deep care.
