Sound recording was born before radio, in 1877, when Edison shouted into his phonograph, «Mary had a sheep!» It is from this moment that the action of the almost detective journalistic saga of the English critic Norman Lebrecht about the recording industry begins.
Sound recording was born before radio, in 1877, when Edison shouted into his phonograph, «Mary had a sheep!» It is from this moment that the action of the almost detective journalistic saga of the English critic Norman Lebrecht about the recording industry begins. Soon the records, heavy and only 4 minutes of sound, penetrated even into the village. The musicians realized that recording is prosperity today and glory forever. Classical music became public. Millions are in the air. Competition spurred progress: speed 33 1/3 appeared, then a cassette, then a disc … The argument whether a live concert with flaws or frozen perfection was more important hung in the air. The Internet has done away with a profitable industry. But against the background of her story, the witty Lebrecht told a bunch of anecdotes about great musicians. At the end, he reviews 100 masterpieces and — with particular pleasure — 20 recording failures.
Classics — XXI, 328 p.