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The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs & Dvds: 2003/4 Edition (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Dvds)

The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs & Dvds: 2003/4 Edition (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Dvds)

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Still sets the standard
Review: By now the Penguin Guide has its fierce advocates -- and equally fierce (and vocal) detractors -- but nevertheless, there are few classical music guides that approach this volume's scope. Yes, there is the occasional glaring omission, but any reference work like this cannot hope to cover the entire universe of recordings, and any writers involved will inevitably show their colors by what they choose to include.

But these caveats aside, this book remains an excellent starting point for anyone interested in classical music, and especially for a beginner bewildered by hundreds of recordings of Beethoven's Fifth in the stores. While the Penguin's first choice might not be *everyone's* pick, in my experience their recommendations are at least in the universe of good recordings to consider. Often their first choice won't be mine, but their picks are rarely completely worthless.

The format can be a bit tricky at first, since for each composer, the works are grouped by orchestral works, chamber music, opera, solo piano, etc. -- fine for an experienced listener, but what if you're new and have no idea whether Britten's "Les Illuminations" is an opera or not? (And there's no index of individual works that might help.) But once you get the hang of the layout, it's not difficult to use.

Yes, the font size chosen by the editors could be a little larger (for some of our aging baby-boomer eyes), but the plus, on the other hand is that the thick volume includes a huge number of reviews. My biggest complaint remains the inexplicable omission of recordings by some world-renowned composers like Kurtag, Xenakis and others, and in this respect the book may inadvertently comment by omission. Just because someone is missing here, doesn't mean that he (or she) is not a good, or at least well-recorded composer.

Even with all these hesitations, however, the fact remains that in the world of printed guides (as opposed to online sources, and there are many), Penguin has few equals, both for the quantity of reviews and the quality. Much of the time the writing is excellent, and (again) once you are used to the editors' style and biases, you can judge for yourself against the yardstick they provide.

Highly recommended, and almost (but maybe not quite) the only game in town.


Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Bias
Review: Having both these suggestive music samplers, I feel that the two in conjunction provide the listener's potential CD purchases with great comparison value.

Just from a layout usage aspect, the Gramophone is much easier for me to use, being its liberal use of white space and headlines which pop and allow quicker access to the review I'm looking for.

Also, I concur with others in the British bias. However, a challenge to one's tastes and likes is always good. Also, the Gramp. excels in yet another category for this reviewer, in that the Intro section is much welcomed and valuable with its discussion of eras and recommendations.

One star less for the Penguin.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Bias
Review: I generally think this is a very good reference tool, however I strongly agree of bias towards American orchestras/quartets, etc. As an example, one of the things I like about Penguin is that they review a LOT of cds. So how could you not even mention Bernsteins DG cycle of Mahlers symphonies. Look it up-with all of their individual reviews of symphonies 1-9, not even referenced as good or bad.. Also, the Cleveland String Quartet not being mentioned for the Beethoven quartets, their work is outstanding and known worldwide--again, nada.. I love European musicians and my cd library reflects that, however I sure wouldn't use this as a definitive guide or you'll miss some great music. Of the heavy hitters, if you can only choose one, I would recommend it be Gramophone.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: practically useless but huge
Review: I've been going by this book since 1988, only because I agree with their reviews more than anyone else. Yes, their English preferences are still there, and they need to do something about the ever-expanding size of the recorded classical music world. One 2000 page book is just not going to cut it anymore. I believe the only solution is to maybe break it up into volumes, the first book to cover A - L, and the second one to cover M - Z. On the English composers bias, It has introduced me to composers that I've never would have heard otherwise, like Malcolm Arnold, Robert Simpson, George Lloyd, Edmund Rubbra and Michael Tippett. I believe those composers really are great symphonists....I agree with the Penguin Guide writers 99% of the time. I never would have heard Vagn Holmboe, Einojuhani Rautavaara or Harald Saeverud as well. Thank you Penguin Guide!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Indispensable
Review: Of all the guides on any subject, this wonderful book and its companion yearbooks by the same author[s] may be the most bankable I have come across. The "Rosettes" really are special recordings, and the narrative evaluations of both the performances and the recording quality of each disc are uncannily dead-on. However, it is a big book, and one can spend rather a lot of time hunting down a particular recording if it was not classified where one guessed it should/would be. (Sometimes, I know a recording is there because I came across it once, but still I can't find it again.) If ever there were a candidate for a searchable CD-ROM rom text, this is it. Still, if you buy a lot of clasical CDs, this is indispensable.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Still the benchmark in music criticism
Review: The Penguin Guide has outlasted competition from Third Ear Classical Music, The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection, The Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide and The Rough Guide Classical Music to maintain its place on Mt. Olympus in the classical music critic game. For 2003-04 the authors have added a couple new wrinkles -- a discography in the back of what they call "key" recordings being the most significant -- and adding reviews of selected DVDs in their principal volume. I think what separates this book from the others -- including Jim Svejda's now deleted "Insider's Guide to Classical Recordings" -- is the way the three authors come to agreement on recordings. All the other books are largely based on the opinions of a single reviewer and the book editor. Penguin Guide, which has been in publication continuously since 1984, has alwasy merged the opinions of its three authors, making it the most reliable and moderate of these books. I believe this is what has contributed most to its lasting value. Unfortunately, the three can come to agreement and dismiss some of the most cherished CDs in the world -- see their reviews of any Bach CD by Glenn Gould or many of Leonard Bernstein's New York recordings -- while they extoll the provincial value of certain British performers and composers whose music is of marginal value worldwide. Still, there is no sugar coating the fact that Penguin Guide is the most long-lasting and authoritative guide in classical music criticism. The newest tome, with its additional DVD reviews and the helpful key recording appendix, shows the authors can still be innovative after all these years. I'd like to see a new edition of Third Ear come along soon to see how well it compares. That prospect was diminished when editor Alexander Morin and Harold C. Schonberg -- the author of its foreward -- both died in the last couple years. Until someone else comes along to belt out a new edition of Third Ear with some new additions, Penguin Guide is still the best game in town for anyone wanting information on classical music recordings.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: New features make this guide even better than before!!!
Review: This newest edition of the Penguin Guide offers some interesting new additions, including a very helpful sign (a key) to mark what the editors think are the "key recordings" of many of the works reviewed. In addition to that, all of those key recordings are grouped in an appendix at the end of the book, making it extremely easy to find them!

If you own the previous edition (2002) you might be having doubts about buying this new one. I had those doubts myself! However, I've just bought it last month (I ordered it here at amazon.com) and I've found many new interesting recordings! I also noticed that, due to space restrictions, some of the recordings listed in the previous edition aren't here anymore, so using both editions will give you an even greater amount of information!

The following thoughts are based on the review that I wrote of the previous edition (2002) of this guide:

This is, without any doubts the most comprehensive classical CD guide you can buy!

Although I also like, and would recommend, the Gramophone guides, the amount of information contained in the Penguin Guide is simply amazing! While the Gramophone guide lists several composers with ample and informative reviews on two or three of the recordings that they consider to be the best choices of a certain work, the Penguin guide includes many more recommendations of each work, although sometimes with much shorter reviews. The amount of composers and works listed and reviewed in this guide is incredible!

I bought this guide (2002 edition) almost two years ago (from Amazon.com) and every single CD that I've bought since then, following this guide's recommendations, has proven to be the right choice! You just can't go wrong with the wealth and quality of information that you'll find within this guide's pages!

This is an absolute must for any classical music lover!


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: COMPREHENSIVE AND INDISPENSABLE GUIDE TO CDs and DVDs
Review: This volume comprises 1556 pages and each one of them is a treasure-trove of opinion,erudition,and general knowledge.
It is a completely revised edition of "The Penguin Guide" and encompasses the key - and important - classical recordings that have been newly issued and reissued on CD over the last 20 years.

DVDs have been added to this volume as well as sound-enhanced SACDs. There is a new section calleld "Key Recordings" - listed as an appendix and these are CDs or DVDs that may be used as a basis for a personal collection. It runs for 42 pages and lists some of the "rosetted" recordings that have an outstanding or extraordinary quality to the recording and interpretation. This is very helpful as the reviewers are highly-respected in their areas of expertise and their recommendations should be heeded.

The reviewers are Ivan March, Edward Greenfield, and Robert Layton, with the assistant editor being Paul Czajkowski. These men have written for "The Guardian", "Gramophone", "BBC Music Magazine", and other respected journals, magazines, and newspapers.

Their collective insights and expertise is one reason why this guide is the most highly-respected in the field. For collectors of classical CDs and DVDs this volume is indispensable and belongs in every music aficianado's library.

Timothy Wingate Ottawa CANADA

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: good doorstop
Review: While it's no fault to promote its own country's music industry, as a guide it is misguiding. After all, in the over 300 years from Bach to today, the only composer from Britain and its numerous former colonies who ever made to the periphery of major league is Elgar. The British's authority on this matter is then very likely relies mostly on the domination of the English language and that Americans are even less likely salesmen of fine music. Its coverage on British composers is out of proportion as if one had to take film composers such as V-W, Arnold, Alwyn, Bliss etc. seriously. Its enthusiasm on British lables and performers is effusive and embarassing as if the British Isles were a Hollywood of classical music.


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