Customer Reviews

The Insider's Guide to Classical Recordings, From the Host of The Record Shelf, a Highly Opinionated, Irreverent, and Selective Guide to What's Good and What's Not

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Jim Svejda is a comic genius; that he also knows more about classical music than most of the world put together is just a bonus. Where else can you read about the harpsichord sounding like "two skeletons copulating on a tin roof?" That he is not particularly fond of baroque music (outside of Handel) is the only major flaw in his reviewing; I too was somewhat disappointed in his slighting of Bach's cantatas, and his handling of Bach in general. Fortunately, the latest edition redresses that fact somewhat. But I happen to agree with Svjeda that Harnoncourt and Leonhardt have largely butchered the cantatas, as well as practically every other piece of music they've ever recorded. Svjeda does have his musical obsessions: besides Handel and Mozart, he is truly obsessed with Fritz Reiner and other composers who take a Romantic slant on whatever they're recording. But having bought nearly a hundred recordings based on Svejda's recommendations alone, I can honestly say that I've never been disappointed, and I've often been delighted. The book is worth every penny; I've read the last three editions from cover to cover, and I use it to keep track of my recordings. Since I have over a thousand cds, it's become increasingly hard to keep from buying a duplicate copy of something I don't listen to regularly. Long live Jim Svejda!

I enjoy listening to Mr. Svejda on KUSC and enjoy his enthusiasm, immense knowledge, and many opinions. Almost without exception, I can refer to this book after hearing even an obscure piece for the first time and find a thoughtful discussion of it and its composer.

My complaint with his reviews is his lack of concern for recording quality to which he openly admits. He has a tin ear when it comes to good recording engineering. Even the recordings he describes as well recorded are often duds in terms of sound quality. For me, there is little enjoyment hearing a fine performance that sounds as if it were recorded in a freight elevator through a fluffy blanket.

Those like me who, while not minding less than audiophile grade recordings of the musical giants who preceeeded high fidelity, find little excuse for the inexcusably poor recording quality of so much classical work by contemporary artists and ensembles, should take his recommendations with a grain of salt. Several times, I've bought cds recommended in this book only to be dismally disappointed by a poorly executed recording.

I'm a long-term Svejda fan, starting years before he wrote the first of these books. I've bought and loved every edition of this book, and encourage every lover of classical music to do the same. Do I agree with Jim on every point? Of course not! I don't even think he'd want that--he thinks for himself, and I believe he wants everyone else to do the same. He is, at least, honest enough to admit that a book of his opinions is highly opinionated. I have found him to be a remarkably educated and perceptive critic of classical music, and I always turn to him before I turn to any bland, confirm-the-popular-taste, ruffle-no-feathers, milk-toast of a critic. In most cases I find his opinions to be accurate; in other cases I see his point, but beg to differ. But he is always witty, erudite, and honest. You can't buy a book that will infallibly tell you which recordings you are going to like the best; any author who claims that is dishonest or delusional. But if you want an illuminating, thought-provoking guide to recordings that you should, at least, consider for your collection, this is the place to turn!

I wish there were more people like Jim Svejda in classical music with their ecletic and unstuffy approach. I don't agree with everything the guy says; I think his exclusion of Boulez among the composers is simply unacceptable. I'm sure there are others who should be in there. On the other hand, he doesn't mind singing the praises of the old-school conductors like Szell and Walter or the new-school record companies like Naxos or the unsung 20th century composers such as Syzmanowski and Henze. I also like his selection of American composers. You can't say enough about all of those people and Naxos, especially in the area of chamber music. I believe most of Svejda's personalized ancedotes are highly amusing. And anybody who thinks so highly of Schoenberg and late Stravinsky as he does is certainly not reactionary as one reviewer put it. I think it's neat that someone like Svejda was forthright enough to put his opinions in print. I wouldn't make this my ONLY choice for classical music reviews. But along with the Penguin Guide and the Gramophone Guide (and yes, even the reviews in amazon.com), this can be a great addition to your library and a way to weed out choices for your hard-earned dollar.

You can get a sense of the book from the review below by the fellow from Israel. His reasons for hating the book are mine for liking it. Svejda really does hate some conductors, and since we generally hate the same ones, we get along fine.

Sure I disagree with some of his choices, such as his championing of Maurizio Pollini and Colin Davis and his denigration of Maestro Toscanini and Jascha Heifetz. But as one reviewer below wrote, he picks the one or two best recordings of each piece (so you know what to buy; the Penguin guide doesn't tell you) and his picks are include both the traditional and modern; he is fond of Naxos and Hyperion, but not more than he is of Reiner and Szell. Some of his choices are obvious e.g. Lipatti's Waltzes, but some recordings I didn't know about and would have missed out e.g. Talich's Dvorak.

I actually prefer the previous editions of the book, which are shorter but laid out better. Try a fourth edition.

Before you read anything else, if you're one of the following, do NOT buy this book (elevated blood pressure and a desire to strangle Jim will inevitably follow):
* A die-hard audiophile (preferring a superbly recorded version of a mediocre performance to a lousy recording of a great performance),
* Someone who only listens to early music (something Jim infers most of us don't do), and
* An afficianado of recordings by Harnoncourt, Leonhardt, von Karajan or Robert Shaw.

With this caveat on the table, I'll say without reservation that this is a must-have book for any music enthusiast. Even if it were not packed with excellent recommendations for your music library, Jim's often merciless humor alone is worth the price and will supply hours of belly laughs.

I find myself giggling even when Jim is lambasting one of my favorite recordings and admitting to myself that perhaps he might have a point (however small).

I'm looking forward to the next edition...

If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to classical music, Penguin or Gramophone make a better choice because this guide generally only recommends one "best" version of a work. Nevertheless the Insider's Guide is a highly valuable and entertaining addition to the group of classical music guides. The author is not afraid to bash icons such as von Karajan, or to praise older recordings that have fallen out of favor, all while acknowledging that ultimately taste is a matter of subjectivity. Also, given the format, this guide tends to devote more discussion to each recording than the other guides, which is highly useful in terms of knowledge of the piece itself. An excellent complement to either of the two more comprehensive guides, and fun reading too.

Svejda's writing style is entertaining, and his recommendations are all pretty good. But even the newer, supposedly updated editions of this guide seem to ignore the thousands of new recordings that have appeared in the last five years or so. I question whether he has truly revisited some of the warhorse selections over the years and done a fair comparison with more recent recordings.

While Svejda is very biased in his choice of recordings, unlike Penguin and Gramophone, he has the guts to criticize a lot of the bad yet popular recordings out there. And he is openminded and appreciates both period and modern instruments. He is right about Harnoncourt's poor musicianship and the notion that the countless arias and choruses of Bach's cantatas are of varying quality. I do think, however, that he overrates Reiner and also recommends one too many Naxos recordings. I have never been completely happy with a single Naxos recording. You get what you pay for. Also one wonders why he recommends the ugly Bernstein Carmen recording, though he admits it's not a good recording. Although I love Vivaldi and don't agree with Svejda's comments about the Four Seasons, his recommendations of its top recordings are right on target, Pinnock on period instruments and Marriner on modern. Overall, I found this book more useful in terms of which works of which composers are more significant and worth seeking out and some really great recordings that you don't hear about often. However, one wonders why he did not include Massenet's Thais, just Manon is listed. Also he forgot to mention the wonderful, yet overlooked viola concerto by VanHal and Wagenseil's great Harp Concerto and perhaps the most glaring Missing in Action pieces here, Paganini's brilliant music for violin and Guitar! In any case, worth your money for the laughs and humor alone, even if you might need a second opinion sometimes.

It's rare to come across a music guide and end up enjoying it like a literary work. The fact that he is also as obsessed as I am with Mozart's music above all other composers is another point in his favor. Most recommendations have been true, I've disagreed with a few. But he's always entertaining. And what i most love is his passion for classical music. Long live the Svejda! But proceed with caution if you want a guide couched in dry, polite, bloodless prose.