Thursday, July 9, 2009

a public service announcment

It occurs to me that there might be a number of people who are newcomers to classical music...and who find the maze of available CDs for a given piece to be overwhelming. Let me know what piece you're interested in, and I'll recommend a CD.

I've been a subscriber of The American Record Guide for 15 years. So, my ability to pass on info is somewhat of a mechanical thing...and not any kind of shiny ego badge. My collection of CDs is based on an exhaustive reading of reviews in that magazine. I would spend weeks reflecting on one reviewer's opinion juxtaposed to another take, the reviews written months, sometimes years apart. Only then would I shell out bucks for a CD. I also have a large wish-list of CDs that I can refer to, the selections pondered over like Gary Kasparov absorbed in an end-game against Deep Blue.

If the composition is not already in my collection or on that list, I'll research it in ARG. I'm sure it's been thoroughly considered by that group of amazing writers. And I have 91 issues, from '94 to '09, to access.

This offer will remain in effect, unless I get swamped by queries. I doubt that will happen. Even if it does, it'll most likely mean my replies will be a while in coming. Thank you for your attention. Over-and-out.

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