Gramophone Magazine Archive Online

[david-jw]

I do apologise if this is common knowledge or has been posted before, but I was delighted and somewhat surprised to discover that Gramaphone have put all back issues online in a searchable form, in an archive.

http://www.gramophone.net/

The search function (particularly the advanced search) is pretty good, enabling access to reviews and articles back until at least the 1950's 

They appear to have used some sort of text-bridge software to translate the original pages, which have been scanned. This does result in some misread words but by and large it is very successful.

It is such a wonderful resource, to be able to read historic Gramaphone reviews of recordings from the last 60 years.

Absolutley fascinating!

[Bulldog]

Fanfare Magazine has a similar function, but it's more user-friendly.  Of course, the Fanfare reviews are better as well.

[Todd]

Fanfare Magazine has a similar function, but it's more user-friendly.

The only downside is that the Fanfare archive looks to be for subscribers only, whereas the Gramophone site is free, at least for the time being. 

[david-jw]

Yes Gramophone archive is free. You can subscribe if you want to, but dont have to- subscribing also appears to be free, and this entitles you to view the pages in original as pdf scans.

Gramophone was very sound until the late 1990's imo.

I've just recently got the Hollywood Quartets late Beethoven, and with this archive I was able to read the original 1950's review of the LP's, all reviews of late beethoven SQ where the hollywood were one of the comparison sets to the main artist under review, a review of the 1982 LP re-issues, and of the Testament CD's.

Compelling stuff if you are a review hound 

[MN Dave]

The free CD is going away I hear. I never really listened to those anyway.  Price isn't changing though.

[Bulldog]

The free CD is going away I hear. I never really listened to those anyway.  Price isn't changing though.

That's good news.  As it is right now, those free cd's can be very difficult to dislodge from the front of the magazine without damaging the cover.  At any rate, I much prefer the BBC free cd's that consist of complete works.

[Lethevich]

The only use those Gramophone CDs offered was replacement jewel cases.

[Elgarian]

The only use those Gramophone CDs offered was replacement jewel cases.

Yes. They won't be missed.

I still read Gramophone, but I trust it less and less.

[Lethevich]

It has reached a point where every one of its front cover soundbytes is unintentionally hilarious, such as the latest:

[the Rach 3] "it's a physical and emotional experience"

[Elgarian]

It has reached a point where every one of its front cover soundbytes is unintentionally hilarious, such as the latest:

[the Rach 3] "it's a physical and emotional experience"

Well, that pins it down with shocking precision.

It's here by me right now - I hadn't actually read what it said on the cover.

[Holden]

The free CD is going away I hear. I never really listened to those anyway.  Price isn't changing though.

It's been replaced with a media player featuring, like the CD, works in the magazine - editors choice etc.

[mjwal]

I haven't read Gramophone for quite a while because of its obvious deterioration, but I refer to the archives now and then. It was the beacon of my distant youth.  Later (in the 80s) I discovered Fanfare, far superior as has been remarked above. Though its glory years were the 80s-90s (I miss Adrian Corleonis and the film music reviews of Royal S.Brown, among others) it can still be engrossing reading. It is available free on the net now, if you know where to look:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/tn_arts/?tag=col1;subcol
Just scroll down to Fanfare. The disadvantage is the BNET people obviously have no idea and scramble the reviews in a chaotic fashion, but it's all there. P.S. 1.March 2011: This is no longer true, unfortunately for freeloaders like me.