Michael Cooper wrote:

>Personally, I am more likely to attend a concert where piece I know
>(from recordings) will be played.  I do not even have to spend money
>to learn more music from recordings; I frequently use libraries.  (And
>I am more likely to purchase a recording if I have been to a concert
>where it was performed, so it is a symbiotic relationship).

I second this.  CDs are a great way of learning more about music before
listening in concert.  They help us atune to the music and know what to
listen for.  I remeber a Monteverdi concert going right over my head.
I wished I'd listened to some of the peice beforehand as I would have
appreciated it more.

It's easy to dis recordings in favour of live concerts.  In defence of
recorded music I'd add:

- They bring music and musicians to people to might not otherwise hear
it.  No everyone lives in central London, Berlin, New York within easy
striking distance of a top opera house or symphony orchestra.

- They are a reasonably cheap way of listening to music.  Ticket prices
to many concerts and operas can be high (plus travel, parking, food etc).
For many a CD is the preferable or only option.

- CDs document great performers and performances.  Would Furtwangler and
Callas have the same profile today without their studio and (arguably
greater) live recordings?  Gustav Mahler *the conductor* is almost
forgotten.

-Recordings raise the profile of musicians.  Many musicians will record
for companies like Naxos for this reason.  Part of the genius of the LSO
Live label is that it has raised the profile of the LSO worldwide.  If
only the great US orchestras like The Cleveland could do the same...

- They're fun and bring huge enjoyment.

Is a live concert always better?  I remember seeing a disasterously
boring Firebird with the Halle (Orwain Arwel Hughes) which had all the
panache and attack of a damp dishcloth.  This cost 8.  For 6.99 I bought
a stunning LSO/Dorati Mercury 'Living Presence' Firebird CD that remains
enthralling to me after many listenings.

I would not say that CDs are better or worse than experiencing a live
concert.  They are today, as Mr Cooper states, symbiotic.

All the best,

David Harbin
Nottingham, UK