Listening to Music in the Digital Era

The relationship between new technologies and the dimension of listening takes at least two different directions, the first dealing with the role new technologies play in the “simple” reproduction and di ffusion of music materials that cannot necessarily be categorized as technological music (for example, a Quartet by Brahms heard in Internet streaming); the second concerning the listening modes inescapably involved in the reception of a music product (whe ther belonging to the so called “serious music” i.e. classical music or to pop music), which depend on the nature of the music itself (for example, an Acousmatic work or a live performed techno piece). Starting from this basic distinction makes it poss ible to avoid any misunderstanding about the correct meaning to be attributed both to technology (instrumental function or production realization function) and to listening (mediated or immediate).