Recorded Music vs. Drawing Room Performances
The widespread availability of recorded music in the early 20th century had a profound effect on the quality of music that people heard. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the realm of classical music. For the first time in human history anyone could listen to almost any piece of music at any time. What’s more they could treat themselves to a flawless performance by one or another of the greatest artists in the world. Now, with the touch of a button (or drop of a needle) I can have Arthur Rubenstein play any of Chopin’s works for me. I can even bring in Horowitz and have him play the same piece so I can compare them to each other!
