Classical music, in the 1950s and 1960s, was something that one could not avoid hearing. It was 'in the air' : in radio and tv commercials, in movies, in restaurants and cafes, from the neighbor's gramophone player, in the theme music played before, during and after radio and TV programs and muzak played in department stores, cinemas and publics places.
We grew up with bits and pieces of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Schubert's Serenade, Franz Liszt's Liebestraum and Hungarian Rhapsody, Schumann's Träumerei, Beethoven's Für Elise and Moonlight Sonata, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Symphony Pathetique ......
From listening to classical music on a portable radio to the high-end audio world, the demand was steadily rising since the 1950s for high-fidelity sound reproduction to re-create the experience of the finest concert halls in the world. The pioneers in the field such as Avery Fisher, Saul Marantz, Frank McIntosh and Harmon Kardon, combined ingenuity and science to create ground breaking sound systems for sale to the public.
Fast forward to 2016, after the steady decline in the popularity of classical music for the latter half of the last century, it is making a comeback. Our Koerner Hall now has a full and well-attended program of ‘lite’ or popular classical music. Even the Toronto Symphony has a matinee program of light classics. 96.3FM the light classic station is ever more popular now than when it was founded some twenty five years ago.
The esoteric diversion of high-end audio immersion was always a frazzled, jargon-filled, hardware obsessed and utterly uncomfortable hobby. Listening to and enjoying the music were secondary. This is no longer true. Private music listening rooms have come a long way. The giant electrostatic speaker panels and the skeletal mono tube amps are still there. But the design and furnishing of the rooms allow true enjoyment of the music while lounging in comfort. The following photo gallery is an excellent example of an audiophile music listening room which is also a family room and home theatre.
We grew up with bits and pieces of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Schubert's Serenade, Franz Liszt's Liebestraum and Hungarian Rhapsody, Schumann's Träumerei, Beethoven's Für Elise and Moonlight Sonata, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Symphony Pathetique ......
From listening to classical music on a portable radio to the high-end audio world, the demand was steadily rising since the 1950s for high-fidelity sound reproduction to re-create the experience of the finest concert halls in the world. The pioneers in the field such as Avery Fisher, Saul Marantz, Frank McIntosh and Harmon Kardon, combined ingenuity and science to create ground breaking sound systems for sale to the public.
Fast forward to 2016, after the steady decline in the popularity of classical music for the latter half of the last century, it is making a comeback. Our Koerner Hall now has a full and well-attended program of ‘lite’ or popular classical music. Even the Toronto Symphony has a matinee program of light classics. 96.3FM the light classic station is ever more popular now than when it was founded some twenty five years ago.
The esoteric diversion of high-end audio immersion was always a frazzled, jargon-filled, hardware obsessed and utterly uncomfortable hobby. Listening to and enjoying the music were secondary. This is no longer true. Private music listening rooms have come a long way. The giant electrostatic speaker panels and the skeletal mono tube amps are still there. But the design and furnishing of the rooms allow true enjoyment of the music while lounging in comfort. The following photo gallery is an excellent example of an audiophile music listening room which is also a family room and home theatre.