The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Theodore Libbey (aka Ted Libbey) (Author), Mstislav Rostropovich (Introduction) "The concept of the orchestra as a large body of diverse instruments sounding together dates back to antiquity..." (more)
Key Phrases: ensuing scherzo, orchestral works, late sonatas, Deutsche Grammophon, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this informed and indispensable guide, National Public Radio's Ted Libbey takes you by the hand through the classical repertory and helps you build a core collection. Not just another rating book, this is an expert's lively appreciation-work by work-of the symphonies, concertos, chamber pieces, keyboard works, sacred works, and operas that belong in every music-lover's library. Where do you start with Berlioz? If you love Schubert's "Trout" Quintet, what about his sonatas? "Cosi fan tutte" or "The Marriage of Figaro?" Webern or Vaughn Williams? And which of Beethoven's 16 string quartets should you not live without? Moreover, the author's discriminating picks of the best performers, performances, and recordings for each work-all on CD-will get you started immediately.

From the Back Cover
Where Do You Go After Mozart's Jupiter? After Bach's Brandenburg Concertos? After Beethoven's Third?

In this informed and indispensable guide, now in a second edition featuring a hundred new recordings, National Public Radio's Ted Libbey takes you by the hand through the classical repertory and helps you build an essential CD collection. Not just another rating book, this is a foremost expert's thoughtful and entertaining appreciation--work by work, performer by performer, recording by recording--of the symphonies, concertos, chamber pieces, keyboard works, sacred works, and operas that belong in every music lover's library. It includes the core 20 works for starting out, recommendations especially suited for young listeners, and an appendix listing additional works, beyond those covered in the first edition, that the author feels most passionate about.

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION:
"I have been lost in this book for a week...Libbey('s) comparisons are wonders of lucidity, differentiation, and those 'open ears' Rostropovich spoke of." --Chicago Tribune

"An extensive guide and perfect companion to the basic classical repertory." --Digby Diehl, Playboy Magazine --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 498 pages
• Publisher: Workman Pub Co; illustrated edition edition (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156305051X
• ISBN-13: 978-1563050510
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,128 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

142 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant reviews on orchestral works and concertos, June 16, 2002

By	Patricia A. Powell (gladstone, nj USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection : The 350 Essential Works (Paperback)

The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection is a good start but, it has its limitations. Ted Libbey gave himself a daunting task in putting this guide together. He did an excellent job on the two chapters on orchestral works and concertos, which comprise about half the book. These chapters alone make this book worth the money. His commentary is concise without losing important detail. The reasons that he selected the recommended recordings are clearly laid out. He gives the audiophile a genuine opportunity to understand what is good in a specific recording and what is missing. In many cases he provides more than one choice and explains the differences between the recordings. Based on his commentary, I am obsessively trying to find the Elan recording of Santiago Rodriguez playing Prokofievs Piano Concerto No. 3.

As the guide progresses, however, the author seems to lose interest. His chapter on chamber music is adequate. Then, he zips through solo keyboard works and sacred music. By the time he gets to the last chapter on Opera he has given up. It is ridiculously short. The entire subject is covered in 60 pages! It is not well edited. At one point he states that Leontyne Price is the great Aida of our time; then he does not mention her recording of this Verdi masterpiece. His recommendation of Mirella Frenis Aida is a surprise. It is in this chapter that the author has decided not to give any reasons for his recommendations. And so, we are left puzzled. What is wrong with Leontyne Prices Aida? All of Marilyn Hornes opera recordings are overlooked. He correctly lists the brilliant Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Bjorling recording of La Boheme, but fails to note that this is a mono recording.

Perhaps Ted Libbey should have co authored this book with someone interested in vocal music, or represented this as the essential guide to orchestral works and concertos. It is certainly worth having. But the true classical CD collector will need other guides for help in finding those special vocal and solo instrument recordings. I recommend this with some reservation.

79 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deeply flawed but great, July 24, 2004

By	Joshua L Wright "book and music fan" (Royal Oak, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection : The 350 Essential Works (Paperback)

I love this book. It has been the sole guide my wife and I have used to flesh out our collection of art music recordings for close to a year now. However the book has major problems.

While everyone certainly has their favorite composers and genres of music, the amount of space dedicated to Jean Sibelius defies all logic. While he was certainly great and wrote much better stuff than I could ever write, the amount of space devoted toward this relatively obscure composer is indefensible in light of all the composers left out, even in his 2nd list of 350 in the back. No works by Telemann, C.P.E. Bach, Corelli, Poulenc, Satie, or Couperin (what does he have against the French?).

What is even more glaring is the neglect some of the greatest composers of all time recieve. Libby spotlights Handel as a "major maestro" and then lists a paltry three of his works. They are his greatest to be sure, but if one is going to include him alongside Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, J.S. Bach and Haydn one needs to list more than three pieces. Even worse is poor Schubert who, not only unlucky enough to be overshadowed by Beethoven his whole life, now must be grossly under represented here and not even given "major maestro" status. His lieder are inexplicably lumped in with the chamber music vividly illustrating Libby's neglect of vocal and choral music. That none of Vivaldi's highly influencial sacred music is not included is also a crime. He seems lucky to get the Four Seasons in.

That, more than Libby's love for Sibelius, is the greatest flaw of this book. Choral and vocal music are given short shrift time and time again as shown by the tiny chapters on opera and sacred music and the lack of any discussion of secular non-operatic music or solo vocal sacred works (Schubert gets it again).

I don't want to give the impression that I don't like this book. I love it. There is really nothing else out there like it and Libby's writing is easy to understand, informative and even entertaining (especially in the margins)! This book could be greatly impoved however. I would recommend using it in conjunction with the reviews on Amazon (taken with a grain of salt) or with some other source like your local classical radio station (if you have one).

Despite its flaws, buy it!

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very helpful reference with interesting commentary., February 11, 2003

By	Matt (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection : The 350 Essential Works (Paperback)

This is an excellent guide for "Building a Classical CD Collection".

The choices of selections and specific recordings, and the organization, writing, and extras are all first rate.
The book is divided into six sections based on types of music (not era's or composers). Although the first section is 200
pages, many of the composers are introduced there so the book is reasonably balanced.

A typical four pages consists of a bio on the composer (adding a real sense of history), a description of a selection, then
a few performances with commentary on
each recording as well.

The author's picks include many from the Berlin and Vienna orchestras, and several from London, Montreal, Chicago,
New York, Boston, Cleveland, Amsterdam and Columbia. He chose Karajan recordings, as well as Bernstien, Dutoit,
Colin Davis, Gardiner, Previn, Walter, Szell, and Marriner. Performers mentioned include Rubinstien, Ashkenazy,
Pearlman, Perahia, Mutter, and Schiff.

There are also plenty of interesting short stories and pictures about composers, conductors, orchestras, and performers
added in the generous margins. Another helpful section placed at the end, gives suggestions for: beginning a collection,
teenagers, special occasions, and other favorites of the author. After this, there is a helpful index of composers and
performers.
If you don't like having only a few recommendations for each work, getting a Penguin or Gramophone guide may
help. And of course: **read the reviews at Amazon.com!**

The book covers most of the "essential works" extremely well, but with 350 selections, it seems that a few other works
could have been included:
Vivaldi concertos, Sibelius Finlandia and no.1, Rachmaninov piano no.3, Bruckner no.4, Handel concerto grossi,
Schubert no.5 and string quartet no.14, Ravel La Valse, Mendelssohn no.3, more Schumann, Gershwin piano concerto
in F, Schoenberg Moonstruck Pierrotierrot, and the Mahler eighth.

Note to the author and publisher: I would welcome updates every five? years or so, to keep up with all of the new
recordings.