Wes Phillips

Richard Dyer's valedictory column for The Boston Globe is surprisingly upbeat.

"The century has seen changes in the distribution of music that no one could have imagined. Before the end of the 19th century, the only way to hear music was to go hear someone else play or sing it, or play or sing it yourself. The cylinder recording, the flat 78 rpm disc, the LP, the CD, the iPod, not to mention the use of music in other electronic media such as radio, television, and the movies, have changed not only the way we listen to music, but what we listen to.

". . . In the context of such bounty, it's startling to recall that there was no complete recording of such a central operatic work as Wagner's Ring cycle available until 40 years ago; now there are dozens of versions, including multiple stage productions on DVD."

Just read the whole lovely essay and then go take advantage of all that bounty on the playback device of your choice.