Recommended Classical Recordings Guide?

[paul secor]

Looking for a recommended guide to classical recordings. Thanks in advance for any suggestion(s).

[Stefan Wood]

The Grammophone guide is nice, but a bit Euro centric (understandable, since they are in England) on favoring some performances. I refer to it for the more obscure composers.

[gnhrtg]

I do not know of, worse, I do not think there are, many options, unfortunately. It's been some years since I last had a look at the Penguin Guide but between it and Gramophone I'd recommend the Gramophone guide (the Penguin is written by three reviewers, all of whom also used to review for The Gramophone. There are at least another dozen and a half active reviewers for the Gramophone - last time I looked, the guide did not identify the reviewers, regrettably, so even if there were to be a reviewer who you would've come to trust, it's not possible to id him or his reviews). I do not know how far back the archive goes or whether they include all the reviews in each issue but you can also search and read through many reviews at Gramophone's web site (used to be the same for Fanfare but I see access is now subscribers only).

I also check classicstoday.com and the archives of rec.music.classical.recordings.

[T.D.]

I once owned a copy of the Penguin Guide, but became disillusioned (too many rosetted recordings that I didn't like, and puzzling preferences for certain British ensembles, eg "Lindsays") and gave it away. I preferred the Gramophone, but it doesn't cover as many recordings as the Penguin (also gave a copy away). I listen to a lot of "modern" or "contemporary" classical, and didn't find either book to have good coverage (granted, one couldn't really expect such). I used to consult Gramophone's online reviews. Nowadays use Classics Today or Usenet (like above poster). There are some classical bulletin boards around ("Good Music Guide"?), but I haven't visited any recently.

Some people rave about Jim Svejda's Insider's Guide, but I've never seen it, and am not sure it's in print.

[Chuck Nessa]

I once owned a copy of the Penguin Guide, but became disillusioned (too many rosetted recordings that I didn't like, and puzzling preferences for certain British ensembles, eg "Lindsays") and gave it away. I preferred the Gramophone, but it doesn't cover as many recordings as the Penguin (also gave a copy away). I listen to a lot of "modern" or "contemporary" classical, and didn't find either book to have good coverage (granted, one couldn't really expect such). I used to consult Gramophone's online reviews. Nowadays use Classics Today or Usenet (like above poster). There are some classical bulletin boards around ("Good Music Guide"?), but I haven't visited any recently.

Some people rave about Jim Svejda's Insider's Guide, but I've never seen it, and am not sure it's in print.

You can access Gramophone's review archive on their site HERE.

[gnhrtg]

David Hurwitz is, essentially, the man behind classicstoday.com (at least the international version, there's also one in French). I agree about Fanfare, at the moment certainly better than both The Gramophone and BBC Music, though that does not say much. Actually what bothered me most about those two was not the quality of the reviews (their main defect is not that they're parochial or ad-driven, I think, which they are, but the imposed brevity, c.f. Fanfare's reviews, Rob Cowan, for instance, should certainly be given the freedom to write at length) but the rest of the mag. Way too many pictures, light writing, and blatantly informercial interviews. It's also true that both BBC Music and The Gramophone reserve undue praise for many British performers (and composers, and also Murray Perahia, for instance).

[gnhrtg]

clementine - No. At least not yet, we just moved here (from France) a couple of weeks ago. I don't know about those BIS releases either. Agreed about Ondine and Alia Vox (but, again, only for those who are into Savall, well almost by definition since it's his label but also to say if you aren't into "early" music or period performances there's pretty much nothing that'd interest you). The neat thing here in Singapore is that small as the selections (of jazz and classical music) are the stores allow you to listen to a couple of discs for as long as you please.

[Claude]

The Grammophone guide is nice, but a bit Euro centric (understandable, since they are in England) on favoring some performances.

Strangely, there are no french or german classical CD guides. There were two french ones which started during the CD reissue boom in the early 90, but they have ceased operations a few years ago. I've never seen a german CD guide. There are general introduction books with CD recommendations, but no comprehensive guide such as the Penguin.

[paul secor]

Thanks to all for your suggestions. Seems like a tough nut to crack, but no doubt worth it once that happens. I'll probably try Fanfare & perhaps just go with suggestions & classical music listening posts done by Board members whose tastes in other musics are similar to mine - & mainly try to listen to whatever comes my way.

Thanks once again.

[mikeweil]

I've never seen a german CD guide. There are general introduction books with CD recommendations, but no comprehensive guide such as the Penguin.

Fono Forum magazine used to do one every now and then, but the last I bought was from 1994 - there seems to be a lack of interest. There was one for period performance recordings too, edited by Alte Musik Aktuell, which since changed its name to Toccata, but I stopped reading it, as they were very subjective in their reviews.

Since I developped my own preferences and criteria I simply read through the review sections and use indexes of these magazines when available: Fono Forum and Concerto.

Klassik heute ceased to exist as a printed magazine, consequently their reviews are now an online archive, which I use the most often. Especially for historically informed performances their reviewers are pretty much on point.

[gnhrtg]

It's Biondi and yes, their version is worth while (did not hear the disc but caught them playing it live on Arte. I enjoy Rinaldo Alessandrini's take, on Opus111, as well as Carmignola's (I have the one on Sony, I hear his earlier is even better). Also highly regarded, by me but more importantly by guys who've heard many more versions, is Biondi and Alessandrini's recording of Bach's Violin and Harpsichord sonatas, again on Opus111. Anyone here heard the recent set by Ehnes and (forgot)?

For Biber's ensemble chamber works there's the double-disc set by Rare Fruits Council (headed by M.Kraemer, who played and plays with Savall). I have Manze and co. for his violin sonatas and Holloway and co. for the mystery sonatas. I'm happy with these and the few other versions I've heard over the radio were not different - superior enough to make me shell out (yes and the lady whose set is on Alpha, it's ok, I like these better).

[Tom 1960]

Paul, All MusicGuide published a classical guide and is available at Amazon or even your local B& N or Borders. Don't own this one, but own there books dedicated to jazz and blues which I find satisfactory.

I do own the review book 'Classical Music' The Essential Listening Companion. A pretty comprehensive book. Also available at Amazon. Let me also 2'nd the suggestion to drop by the 'Good Music Guide' classical music forum. I'm a member there, although I rarely post. Some of those people there are incredibly knowledgeable. As far as classical music forums go, it's probably the most active classical forum on the net. Good Music Guide