Customer Reviews

Gramophone Classical Music Guide 2008 (Classical Good CD, DVD, & Download Guide)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I find the Gramophone Classical Music Guide an eminently useful companion when searching for recordings to add to my cd want list. While the editors do lean a shade heavily on the side of English perfomers and orchestras (one should not be surprised,) their ratings & observations are always insightful & informative. True, on occasion the reviews can be a trifle overly opinionated, but very much like Simon Cowell, they always end up being rather correct once I've had a chance to hear the cd in question, any abrasive tendencies aside. This publication, along side the Penguin Guide, is a must have help for the discerning classical music buyer.
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There are a lot of great recommendations in this book. I have found some wonderful recordings through this guide. That said, there are many odd omissions and insignificant inclusions. Grofe is not listed anywhere - granted, he is not the most influential composer, but his "Grand Canyon Suite" is very popular, so why no mention anywhere in the Music Guide? Then Lou Harrison is mentioned in the history section as being a modern influential composer worth listening to, but his recordings get no mention in the alphabetical listings. What gives there? What are his best recordings? Also, there is no Terry Riley, whose "In C' is considered a modern classic and has several recordings. Instead, we get listings for some truly obscure composers - Maw, Mayerl, McCabe and Medtner - to give just the M's. They may have produced work of value, but they can hardly be considered "important". Why include them and not the others? It seems a little haphazard, like a collection of recordings that happened to cross the editors desks, rather than a collection of who is important in recorded music.

I thought it would be interesting to have alternate opinions on classical music, but I still find myself picking up the Penguin guide. It is better written and more comprehensive. The authors of Gramophone seem stuck in the past and don't consider more modern recordings as much. Penguin does better comparisons as well. While I do not always agree on their evaluations, for the most part, it is a very reliable guide.

I've always used The Penguin Guide but bought Gramaphone, too, the last time I ordered. I won't make that mistake again. Gramaphone has nothing Penguin doesn't have; in fact, it has a lot less.

Anyone wanting to use this guide should be aware that I have found it very quirky. For example I looked up Kurt Weil and thought I would find some reviews for the Three Penny Opera. To my surprise there was nothing. Also it does lean heavily to the english side of things for performers and composers. Overall, its good and that you could say it has personality and is individualistic.

The Gramofone Classical Music Guide (2008) is the best source of Classical Music information that I have found in recent times. Highly recommended. I am still looking for good information and I will take suggestions.

reader1

To have the perfect selection, I use this guide in conjuction with The Penguin Guide to CDs and DVDs.