NP: CD sales dive into toilet, end of musical civilization

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

 Here's a long article from a Huston paper that is mostly about the 
decline and demise of the CD (along with music as a communal 
activity). This passage touches on the role of music in the 19th 
century:

"Indeed, some believe that the entire world of music has been 
devalued by the very fact of its ease of access. A study at the 
University of Leicester in England earlier this year came to that very 
conclusion. Music psychologist Dr. Adrian North and his team 
monitored 346 music fans over the course of two weeks, and they 
concluded that music had become a commodity and had "lost its 
aura" of magic. "In the 19th century, music was seen as a highly 
valued treasure with fundamental and near-mystical powers of 
human communication," North told the BBC. No more: "The degree 
of accessibility and choice has arguably led to a rather passive 
attitude towards music heard in everyday life."

http://houstonpress.com/Issues/2007-01-04/news/feature_print.html