Music's significance for the listener at home has been greatly increased by modern methods of recording. Nevertheless, critics of recorded music are right to point out that repeated hearings of a particular performance may cause the listener to think that the interpretation to which he has become accustomed is the only one possible. Moreover, modern recording techniques, which often, though not invariably, involve repeated "takes" of short sections of a work in order to eliminate minor flaws, may in so doing eliminate spontaneity. Great music requires an emotional commitment from performers which cannot be combined with an obsessional insistence on perfection.

One famous pianist retired from the concert platform at the age of twenty-eight. He deplored the applause at concerts and became increasingly affected by stage fright. In any case, he thought that the concert hall would soon disappear because of progress in the technology of recording. He claimed that the listener at home, by adjusting controls to his or her personal taste, could come closer to an ideal performance and reach a depth of musical experience unattainable at a live concert. This pianist's dislike of performing in public was rooted in his own peculiar temperament. He was predominantly solitary, preferring telephone conversations to face-to-face encounters. However, his ideas should not be dismissed lightly just because of his personal idiosyncrasies. Music can and does affect the listener without having to be experienced live or in the company of others.