Author Reflects on Anton Seidl, Digitization, and Sousa's 1906 Warning

In a contemplative essay, the writer reflects on how the advent of digitization has transformed the study of music history, particularly in contrast to traditional archival research for his works on conductor Anton Seidl. He reminisces about a BBC discussion with archivist Gino Francesconi, who expressed regret regarding a finished digitization initiative. At the Brooklyn Historical Society, the author discovered an unrecorded speech by Seidl, highlighting the unique experience of handling fragile documents. He shared rare Busoni recordings with pianist William Masselos, who had never encountered them, unlike the immediate availability of such content on YouTube today. The piece cites John Philip Sousa's 1906 warning about recordings overshadowing human talent, linking this to declining piano sales and operatic voices. The essay wraps up with a mention of his novel, The Disciple: A Wagnerian Tale of the Gilded Age, which features Seidl and Dvorak, alongside Arthur Farwell's 1944 homage to Seidl.