The Flying Inkpot Guide to Classical Music Magazines
ALL PRICES ARE IN SINGAPORE DOLLARS AND APPLY TO THE SINGAPORE MARKETReviews by Leon and Johann
American Record Guide
Classic CD
Fanfare
GoldbergGramophone
International Piano Quarterly
SoundscapesLast Update: 17 Nov 1998
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
(cover shown: Jan-Feb 1998)In the American Record Guide, you'll find a huge range of reviewing styles from the deeply personal to the downright irresponsible. At best, these reviews are very warm and honest, convincing because the reviewer is talking to you like a friend and equal. There is much less of the British politeness which sometimes makes them sound snotty. At worst, there are the brutal three-sentence reviews which aren't really reviews at all. Multiple reviews of the same CD are not unusual.
Unlike many other magazines, the ARG offers concert reviews. Of course these are as relevant to us as our SSO reviews are as relevant to foreign readers. In the Jan-Feb issue there is also a report on refurbished concert halls and music festivals and a "What to do with your old LPs" article. Regulars include very useful overviews of a composer and his works, and the annual Critic's Choice. Reviews are listed by composer, rather than by musical form (as the Brits do). The exorbitant price is a little problematic.
The American classical music magazines, Fanfare and the American Record Guide (below), take a very different attitude from the Brits. The first noticeable thing is that these American magazines are less glossy and perhaps in this sense more dedicated to the music (rather than adverts).
Their reviews tend to be longer than the Brits'. I do wonder, however, why the Americans don't indicate price categories in the CD reviews.
More significantly, each reviewer is a distinct personality, whereas the British reviewers generally sound like they all come from the same gene pool.
Both these magazines are 2-3 times thicker than most magazines (ARG Jan-Feb is 288-pages while Fanfare can reach nearly 400) but are published bi-monthly.
The American Record Guide is published every two months and is available from Tower from between $12.90-$15.90, depending on their moods, or Borders at $17.50.
FANFARE
(Cover shown: Mar-Apr 1998)Fanfare comes across as slightly neater and more consistent in quality than the ARG, but like the latter, it is distinguished by being simply much more interesting to read and more focussed than the British magazines. Fanfare has regular interviews with many artists, a whopping 200-300 pages worth of CD reviews, plus small sections for Jazz and historic "Hall of Fame" reviews.
The lack of eye-candy can be a bit tiresome in both Fanfare and the ARG, but although these magazines are published bi-monthly, I can take more than two months to finish reading each issue, whereas I can be-done-with Gramophone in 1-2 weeks. I suppose that's a good reason for Fanfare to call itself "the magazine for serious record collectors". Like the ARG, reviews are listed by composer.
Fanfare is also a bimonthly publication and available from Tower at $12.90 and Borders at $16.30(!).
SOUNDSCAPES
(Cover shown: Dec-Jan 1998)A breath of fresh air comes from the Australian classical music magazine Soundscapes. Cleanly and neatly designed, this bi-monthly magazine is distinguished by a group of very genial and friendly reviewers, writing in a pleasantly earnest and balanced style. Completely different from the whiff of arrogant superiority that sometimes accompany the glossy, over-commercialized pages of other magazines. With features on artists, musical periods and of course, reviews, Soundscapes also incorporates Jazzscapes and the occasional free promotional CD. 15 "Oustanding" CDs are selected in each issue.
The Dec-Jan issue includes the premiere of the Soundscapes Awards (1997) and articles about Imogen Cooper on Schubert, interviews with Pletnev, Mackerras on Brahms, Dianna Krall and even information on music exams in Australia! There is also a discussion on 18th century music as well as a series on Australian music. Now, if only it wasn't so BLOODY EXPENSIVE in Singapore.
Soundscapes is available from Tower at $19.90 (The price Down Under is A$9.95).
GOLDBERG
(Cover shown: Jan-Mar 1998)Early Music fans - watch out for the new magazine, Goldberg - a lavishly illustrated Spanish publication (with complete running English translations) dealing with all music up to 1750 (when J.S. Bach died). The second (Jan-March) issue includes a 12-page intro to Hildegard, Purcell's London, an interview with singer Marta Almajano, and the newly-revived Sony Seon label. There are about 70 CD reviews, not including books. Though the music is early, the know-how isn't - Goldberg also has website reviews. Wonder if anyone could tell them about us...
Ever conscious of the relationship between music and painting, Goldberg treats you to huge reproductions of relevant paintings. In this issue the "musical" analysis of Carravagio's paintings continues! The reviews and articles are written by an intelligent group of mostly Spanish experts, with a small handful of American, British and French reviewers. Be stunned by the gorgeous design.
Goldberg is published quarterly and available from Tower at $14.90. Lately it has appeared to have disappeared.
GRAMOPHONE (Cover shown: Dec 1998)
Founded in 1923, Gramophone is the most famous of all classical music magazines. It is certainly the most professionally executed of all the English language classical music magazines, with glossy covers, neatly designed layout, and a monthly deluge of about 200 reviews, including the Editor's Choice of ten CDs.
Regulars include "Passing Notes", a series of short features often related to the month's focus or reviews; "Collection" - an admirable survey of recordings of a particular work every month; "Reputations" of musical figures; and writeups on recent CDs and reissues. A Hi-Fi section nests at the back of the magazine, as does a very useful and up-to-date listing of "New Releases". Book reviews are also available, if infreqeunt.
Around August-November each year the popular Gramophone Awards are held. The annual "Critics' Choice" also highlights the "best" CDs of the year. But Gramophone's primary function is CD reviewing - everything else has a secondary feel. As such, it is a magazine for serious record collectors, and not so much "music enthusiasts" (for which Classic CD - see below - is better).
Gramophone makes it a point to interview a musician every month, and always tries to coordinate reviews of new CDs by the musician in the same issue. Admirable, but sometimes suspicious when the timing seems too good. Being the influential magazine that it is, Gramophone sometimes seems over-commercialized. Although prejudices abound (all do, like us at the Inkpot), as in the Gramophone Good CD Guide or the Penguin Guide (all written by Gramophone people), the extensive range of expertise, in practically all areas of music, available at Gramophone is hard to beat. If only the writing weren't quite so tame, boring, rigid, ambiguous and sometimes plain unenthusiastic. Recently, a new section called "Soundbites" has been introduced, trying to sum up presumably "2nd class" CDs in a paragraph. I don't see what's the point - if a CD is good, wouldn't it automatically be in the main review sections? Or did these poor record companies not "pay" enough to the "right" people?
Gramophone is available from HMV at $10.99 (UK Edition) and Tower at $6.99 (North American Edition). Prices fluctuate. Tower also supplies Gramophone with the sampler CD from $12.99-$15.99.
Gramophone now has 24,000 reviews on-line at the Gramofile On-line Website - there you go, no need to visit the Inkpot anymore... You can preview the contents of the sampler CD at their website, as well as Gramophone's very up-to-date listing of New CD Releases.
Gramophone INTERNATIONAL PIANO QUARTERLY
(Cover shown: Spring 1998)For pianophiles this is the magazine to purchase every season (quarter: Spring/Apr, Summer/Jul, Autumn/Oct, Winter/Jan). It is surprising that Gramophone took so long to come out with this idea considering that it has a magazine for Opera lovers and for historical recordings. The IPQ's specialization will undoubtedly be received well as it covers a wide spectrum of areas for the lover of piano music.
The very interesting premiere issue was dedicated to the late Richter and a story on the Australian composer-cum-pianist, Percy Grainger. Topics are covered thoroughly with an autobiographical study of his life and works. The in-depth study of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 was a revelation. The magazine also gives you the added extras of what pianists are doing in the recording studios. There are piano reviews by the resident specialists Bryce Morrison and Terry Bennett. Look out for Morrisons' article on Jorge Bolet in the Winter 98 Issue: he is not only knowledgeable on the subject but actually knew Bolet personally. For the avid collector of piano music, this is the magazine to keep abreast with the latest and not forgetting the oldest(historical) recordings that are or will become available.
The IPQ is published quarterly (Spring/Apr, Summer/Jul, Autumn/Oct, Winter/Jan) and can be purchased at HMV ($12.90), Tower Records and Borders.
CLASSIC CD (Cover shown: July 1998)
Futurenet - Home of the Classic CD Website
Classic CD did the obvious thing, and claims to be the first to have done it - sell the magazine with a sampler CD complementing their reviews and articles. It is a great idea, and is known to have caused complete changes of heart to readers who discover new things about new composers. In fact, the idea is so good that its arch-rival, Gramophone, has starting doing it too. Anyway, investing in an issue of Classic CD is an adventure. You'll never know if that odd composer's odd work sitting on the CD may be your ticket to your next grand musical journey. TIP: Check out their website for full listings of the CD's contents every month and see if it arouses your curiosity.
Compared to Gramophone, Classic CD is geared more towards general music education. The topics each issue discusses is impressively varied, ranging from composer writeups, instrument profiles, Shakespeare in music, controversial discussions on modern music or the recording industry, to more inane things like music clerihews
Like Gramophone, Classic CD also has its own annual awards in April for outstanding CDs of the year, except for one BIG difference: readers get to vote alongside the reviewers. Over 1997/98, Classic CD also held a composing competition. These qualities again bring out the earnestness of the Classic CD team, something worth supporting.
Full articles complement each track on the CD, as opposed to Gramophone's CD which is usually only accompanied by regular reviews, without any of the extra effort that Classic CD makes to prove its choice. This includes music for the CD of the Month, special features (eg. Spanish music, "World Music"), and listening examples for the current issue's topics.
Much more lavish with illustrations than Gramphone, Classic CD comes across as earnest in its intentions, but somewhat more careless in its production. Glaring mistakes do occur with greater frequency. Once, a wrong cover was used for a review article and the same feature on their website! Generally, Classic CD reviewers also tend to be less thorough than Gramophone reviewers, who are, shall we say, more "professional"-sounding (which is not necessarily a virtue...)
Classic CD is available from Tower from $12.99-$15.99, or from HMV from $14.99-$16.99.
Tip: check out the "Next Issue" feature in each issue to see if the next will have an extra (ie. two) free CDs. When you buy the magazine, make sure both CDs are there as some editions don't have'em. You can also check the Classic CD Website for previews.
HMV Singapore is located at The Heeren Shops, Orchard Road. Tower Singapore is located at Pacific Plaza, Scotts Road. Tower also has branches at Suntec City and Boat Quay. Borders is situated at Wheelock Place.
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