danajohnhill.org | Hard Times Come Again No More

One of my best friends turned 25 today. Depending on the source, the first CD pressed was either a recording of Strauss’ Eine Alpensinfonie, or ABBA. Either way, what is known for sure is that the compact disc was a brilliant idea, and, to me, remains the best medium for recorded music. It sounds good, it’s portable, and it’s pretty durable, at least compared to tape or vinyl. MP3 is not for serious music listening.

Well-known fact: the CD was designed to be able to accommodate a complete performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, which, under the baton of Wilhelm Furtwängler, could be as long as 74 minutes.

Happy birthday, CD!

Filed under: Music, Special Occasions, Technology on August 17th, 2007