“There is something that connects Debussy more with Bach than with us.”
(N. Piovani)

Debussy, considered one of the first modern composers, was born in 1862. The first sound recording was made in 1860 and was an excerpt from the song “Au Clair de la Lune,” which, however, could only be played in 2008! In 1877, Edison invented the cylindrical phonograph, and the first recording that was properly heard was made in 1888.

So what Piovani says is not entirely accurate, but it contains a great deal of truth, as all these technological developments were still in an experimental stage. In 1888, with the invention of the gramophone and the record, music began to become a commercially exploitable entertainment product. At this stage, musicians played in front of a horn that simply collected the sound. Recordings with significant capabilities began in 1925 with the introduction of microphones and amplifiers. Debussy had died in 1918, living and creating during this transitional period.

Technological improvements and changes in instruments always played a role in the evolution of music, its relationship with the public, and in composition and performance. A good example is the transition from the harpsichord to the piano, the instrument that finally allowed keyboards to acquire dynamics. (Hence its original name, forte-piano.) Another example is the various additional keys on wind instruments that corrected intonation issues on many notes and extended their range. Special concert halls and theaters with improved acoustics were also built.

However, all of this pales in comparison to the possibilities offered by sound reproduction. Everything changes here! Dissemination capabilities multiplied, initially through radio. New ways of listening emerged, and soon new genres of music appeared, based on the existence of the record. For many years, the 45 rpm single was the primary medium through which young people listened to and bought their own music. But on the other hand, the uniqueness of the live performance moment was lost. Now we have the ability to listen to something again and again, even making comparisons between different performances. Today, over a century later, recorded music is ubiquitous, and we cannot imagine a world without it.

What does all this mean? Aaron Copland wrote that today “everybody has the chance not to understand music.” An extremely accurate observation! The ease of access – the removal of the element of uniqueness and ephemerality – somewhat devalues the subject and creates conditions for superficial listening with reduced attention. Many now listen only in this way. And because where there is demand, supply follows and fills the void, nowadays a host of genres have sprung up to serve this need: muzak, elevator music, music that accompanies our shopping in the supermarket. The latter also has an additional function. It makes shopping easier without much thought…

Action always creates reaction. Thus, from the ’60s onwards, we see many books and corresponding programs on television or radio aiming to explain, analyze, and popularize various musical genres. In this area, the always hyperactive Leonard Bernstein has done a lot of work. Those who have the inclination and time can read his voluminous but very good book, “The Unanswered Question,” which comprises the six lectures he gave in 1973 at Harvard. The lectures are easily found – where else? – on YouTube.

Explanatory programs continue to exist on radio (3rd Program) as well as on Television. However, the “new frontier” with immense possibilities, I believe, is YouTube. A quick search with composer names and keywords like “education” will bring up a relevant link. From there, depending on our choices, the algorithm will take over…

To be continued!

We will continue in the next part…