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    Classic FM Handy Guide: Classical Recordings
    Classic FM Handy Guide: Classical Recordings
    Classic FM Handy Guide: Classical Recordings
    Ebook85 pages1 hour

    Classic FM Handy Guide: Classical Recordings

    By Sam Jackson

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    When it comes to buying classical music, it can be hard to know where to start. Packed full of essential information, this pocket-sized handbook reviews the most important record labels and recommends 100 recordings, providing a useful starting point for beginners and a wealth of options for more experienced listeners. Classic FM's Handy Guides are a fun and informative set of introductions to standout subjects within classical music, each of which can be read and digested in one sitting: a perfect collectible series whether you re new to the world of classical music or an aficionado.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherElliott & Thompson
    Release dateJan 8, 2015
    ISBN9781783960576
    Classic FM Handy Guide: Classical Recordings

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      Book preview

      Classic FM Handy Guide - Sam Jackson

      Index

      Introduction

      At Classic FM, we spend a lot of our time dreaming up wonderful ways of making sure that as many people as possible across the UK have the opportunity to listen to classical music. As the nation’s biggest classical music radio station, we feel that we have a responsibility to share the world’s greatest music as widely as we can.

      Over the years, we have written a variety of classical music books in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But we have never put together a series of books quite like this.

      This set of books covers a whole range of aspects of classical music. They are all written in Classic FM’s friendly, accessible style and you can rest assured that they are packed full of facts about classical music. Read separately, each book gives you a handy snapshot of a particular subject area. Added together, the series combines to offer a more detailed insight into the full story of classical music. Along the way, we shall be paying particular attention to some of the key composers whose music we play most often on the radio station, as well as examining many of classical music’s subgenres.

      These books are relatively small in size, so they are not going to be encyclopedic in their level of detail; there are other books out there that do that much better than we could ever hope to. Instead, they are intended to be enjoyable introductory guides that will be particularly useful to listeners who are beginning their voyage of discovery through the rich and exciting world of classical music. Drawing on the research we have undertaken for many of our previous Classic FM books, they concentrate on information rather than theory because we want to make this series of books attractive and inviting to readers who are not necessarily familiar with the more complex aspects of musicology.

      For more information on this series, take a look at our website: www.ClassicFM.com/handyguides.

      Preface

      In the world of pop and rock, buying music is a fairly simple affair. Let’s say you’re a fan of Katy Perry or Arctic Monkeys: you simply download the songs you love, or purchase a copy of their latest CD. The world of classical music, however, tends to be a more complicated affair. Imagine you’ve just heard Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending for the very first time, and you want to get your hands on a copy. A quick search online will present you with enough CDs to fill your entire living room. Do you go for Nigel Kennedy’s long, languid version? Or Sarah Chang’s speedier (but arguably no less beautiful) performance? And then there’s Tasmin Little, Janine Jansen and Julia Fischer to consider – not to mention the fact that some of the recordings seem quite pricey, while others are cheaper than a cappuccino. In short: when it comes to buying classical music, where on earth do you start – and how, exactly, do you discern what’s ‘good’ or ‘bad’?

      This new pocket guide from Classic FM aims to set you on the right path towards building up a great classical music collection, whether that’s in the form of physical CDs or a multitude of downloads. Over the next few pages, you’ll discover which classical record labels are worth your attention, before we then dive head first into the 100 Albums to Own. Based on The Classic FM Hall of Fame (also available from Elliott & Thompson), it focuses on the most popular classical repertoire and, each time, includes a suggestion of a great recording for you to purchase.

      It goes without saying that any list like this is, by its very nature, subjective. You only have to read the critics to quickly see that one person’s definition of success can sometimes be another person’s turkey. But whether or not you agree with the choices, they should hopefully give you a starting point when it comes to what you should be spending your money on.

      If you want to find out more about the best classical recordings, do join David Mellor every Saturday evening at 9 p.m. on Classic FM, for The New Releases Show. Every week, David picks a Best Bargain, a Young Artist to Watch, a Connoisseurs’ Choice and an Album of the Week, playing music from a wide range of the latest releases. What’s more, you’ll find pages of resources and suggestions on our website, ClassicFM.com – just click on ‘Discover’ at the top of the home page, and within a matter of moments you’ll be exploring a wealth of expert opinion.

      Happy listening!

      The Classical Labels That Matter

      There are hundreds of classical record labels – and it’s certainly the case that ‘big’ doesn’t always mean ‘best’. Having said that, if you’re looking for a mark of quality, you can be sure that these very successful labels are nearly always home to recordings you can rely on. So, in alphabetical order, here’s a rundown of the classical labels that matter.

      Chandos

      A family company based in Colchester, Chandos is known for championing esoteric repertoire alongside the more well-known names. The Chandos strapline is ‘Serious about Classical Music’, so you won’t find many jazzy covers, jokey sleeve notes or controversial repertoire here. What you will find, though, is a label that’s

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