Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site bu-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!bu-cs!hen From: hen@bu-cs.UUCP (Bill Henneman) Newsgroups: net.music.classical Subject: Re: Music Majors Attention - Question For You Message-ID: <210@bu-cs.UUCP> Date: Sun, 3-Mar-85 19:24:11 EST Article-I.D.: bu-cs.210 Posted: Sun Mar 3 19:24:11 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 6-Mar-85 02:41:15 EST References: <949@hound.UUCP>, <1008@reed.UUCP> Organization: Boston Univ Comp. Sci. Lines: 16 Back in the late 40's and early 50's, I was being taught music at the Peabody institute in Baltimore. While recorded music wasn't forbidden (in fact, they made very good use of an extensive Edisonphone collection of cylinders in some advanced classes), it was *strongly* discouraged. The party line was that recorded performances were pastiches of the best bars of several tries by the performer: listening to such ersatz performances would lead the student to be overly critical of live performances. Upon reflection (and a soft probe at some contemporary composers), I think there was an element of fear that people would rather spend their money on recordings of the "golden oldies" of the 19th century than invest the effort to follow a modern performance. Their fears were probably justified.