The iPod Sensibility Strikes Again

The end of civilization as we know it?," asks Stephen Brookes in a piece for The Washington Post. "Probably not," Mr. Brookes concludes. We're not entirely sure. It's a harbinger, at least.

As conductor Emil de Cou took the podium at Wolf Trap on Thursday night, he urged the audience to put on headphones, switch on their iPods and settle in for an evening of -- shudder -- music video from the National Symphony Orchestra.

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At first glance, it seems absurd -- who puts in ear buds when the orchestra is about to play? But de Cou's idea was appealing: If listeners want to learn more about the music, they can download a running commentary by the conductor, then listen to it while the orchestra plays.

Almost — or exactly — as populist-imbecile an idea as the Concert Companion which, happily, seems to be no more which is why we can't provide a link to its website which is now defunct.

As always, one should be thankful even for small blessings.

(Note: For those who've no idea what the Concert Companion might be (or have been), here's a Wikipedia entry which tells the story briefly. While we're always distrustful of Wikipedia, and would never think to reference an entry ordinarily, for things contemporary or pop cultural it seems to be a trustworthy source.)