A bit of an academic curio, but I don't know of any richer study of the enjoyment and collection of recorded music.

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Product Description

First published in 1987, Evan Eisenberg's The Recording Angel has been translated into several languages and is now considered a classic by those with an interest in the intersection of music and technology. Eisenberg offers an unusually well written and thought provoking study of how the phonograph and related media have transformed music into a tangible commodity and relegated live performance to the background of Western culture. In this newly expanded edition of the book, the author takes fully into account developments related to the era of digital sound recording. The book is essential reading for anyone curious about recording as an art in itself, any collector of recorded music, and any owner of the first edition who has wishes to read more of what Evan Eisenberg has to say about music, how it is created, and how recorded sound has changed the human condition. "The Recording Angel throws out one arresting idea after another." Timothy Day, author of A Century of Recorded Music

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #417049 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
"The Recording Angel throws out one arresting idea after another." Timothy Day, author of A Century of Recorded Music"

About the Author
Evan Eisenberg's writings on music, culture, and technology have appeared in The New Republic, The Village Voice, The New Yorker, The Nation, and other periodicals. His most recent book is The Ecology of Eden.

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Customer Reviews

A very thought-provoking book
This book is incredibly captivating and thought-provoking, taking as its central premise the idea that recorded music is a totally new type of entertainment, one that has wrought many changes. Prior to the twentieth century, the idea of hearing the exact same rendition of a piece of music twice was unheard of. By the end of the century, the idea of hearing a performance that diverges from the "correct" recorded version had become the norm. This book charts the change, and the psychological and musical changes that have accompanied it.

The book gets slightly hard-reading after a while: although it is fairly well written, ideas are sometimes hammered home repeatedly and this makes it drag a little. This is the only slight criticism I have, which prevents this from being a five-star read, but otherwise the book is top-notch, and the originality and clarity of thinking behind it are enough to make it a must-read.