No Penguin guide this year?

[Peregrine]

I have the 2002 edition and have found it useful for discovering some things I wasn't aware of. I take all their recommendations with a grain of salt, though, because of

* their notorious British bias (though I love much British music): for them, the Holy Trinity is Beecham, Boult, and Barbirolli, with Gardiner and Rattle as the Apostles
* their condescension towards the HIP movement
* their focus on the core repertoire over the often-exciting fringes--the largest flaw of the work, by far
* their lack of open-mindedness and their questionable taste (damning Pettersson with very faint praise, for example)
* their constant reliance on the same trite, cut-and-paste phrases to describe piece and performances
* judging core repertoire discs on performance alone but often letting their feelings for a piece of new or obscure music infect their recommendation of the performance. They need to make up their mind about what they're reviewing.

And:

* It's a bit of a Karajan love-in

[Anne]

Don and Que,

Thanks for your remarks and recommendations.  I had not known the Klemperer was so widely recommended other than that it had not been out of the P Guide since 1956 when it was given a Rosette.  I will check the other recordings that you mentioned.  How is the Furtwangler?  I would love that.

[Solitary Wanderer]

I've got the 1988 edition. Picked up a used copy, but I could never get into it  I just found it to be a really unattractive reference book. And generally I love musical reference books that recommend cds. Maybe I need to get a recent copy and give it another go?

My preferred method of sourcing discs is to do my own research on the net and via the few books I have. The researching is a big part of the fun.

The internet is heaven for cd collectors like myself; the selection, the prices, the delivery to your door! 

[Que]

How is the Furtwangler?  I would love that.

I like it, but as often with Furtwängler - live is better than studio. My favourite WF-Fidelio is the live one from '53 with the same cast as the (EMI) studio recording.

My preferred method of sourcing discs is to do my own research on the net and via the few books I have. The researching is a big part of the fun.

The internet is heaven for cd collectors like myself; the selection, the prices, the delivery to your door! 

Hear, hear! Heavens be thanked for the internet. 
I first relied on the "review" sites instead of the "paper" guides and the magazines, but now moved beyond that in favour of more specialised sites, and this forum of course!  Nothing beats a hot tip of a fellow music lover, who you know has similar taste in a particular field of interest.

Q

[Dancing Divertimentian]

From a guidebook I expect to be recommended wonderful recordings by little known musicians on smaller labels, or of little known music by not-so-famous composers that deserve to be heard.
In other words: things that I might have overlooked. Hot tips by connaisseurs!

And what do we get? Mainstream repertoire on mainstream recordings. Just the usual suspects....

Q

What would be nice is some sort of reference guide in the manner of PG but one that's dedicated to the independent labels. An "Independent Guide" or some such.

Certainly the independents have earned it...

[Bogey]

What would be nice is some sort of reference guide in the manner of PG but one that's dedicated to the independent labels. An "Independent Guide" or some such.

Certainly the independents have earned it...

That is exactly why I ask here at GMG about specific pieces Don...like LvB's 4th.  You folks here are tops at not only pointing out the obvious choices (which if good should not be overlooked) also those more obscure recordings.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

That is exactly why I ask here at GMG about specific pieces Don...like LvB's 4th.  You folks here are tops at not only pointing out the obvious choices (which if good should not be overlooked) as well as those more obscure recordings.

Agree 100%, Bill.

The more obscure choices really deserve a voice. GMG is a perfect outlet...

[George]

Don and Que,

Thanks for your remarks and recommendations.  I had not known the Klemperer was so widely recommended other than that it had not been out of the P Guide since 1956 when it was given a Rosette.  I will check the other recordings that you mentioned.  How is the Furtwangler?  I would love that.

You can sample/own it here for 1 Euro:

http://www.classicalmusicmobile.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=33

[B_cereus]

I have the 2002 edition and have found it useful for discovering some things I wasn't aware of. I take all their recommendations with a grain of salt, though, because of

* their notorious British bias (though I love much British music): for them, the Holy Trinity is Beecham, Boult, and Barbirolli, with Gardiner and Rattle as the Apostles
* their condescension towards the HIP movement
* their focus on the core repertoire over the often-exciting fringes--the largest flaw of the work, by far
* their lack of open-mindedness and their questionable taste (damning Pettersson with very faint praise, for example)
* their constant reliance on the same trite, cut-and-paste phrases to describe piece and performances
* judging core repertoire discs on performance alone but often letting their feelings for a piece of new or obscure music infect their recommendation of the performance. They need to make up their mind about what they're reviewing.

I wonder about the impartiality of all journalistic reviews. It's not just in the field of music recordings, but also everything else.

In the final analysis, I guess it is a case of follow your own preference. However I think it is true that reviewers do wield influence and some can even make or break budding careers; although I am not sure if that is still as true as it might have been in the past. I.e. people like Claudia Cassidy. Ditto restaurant critics e.g. Frank Bruni

[Don]

It's conservative in some ways, for instance the present one has no Xenakis, but the reviewers have a high if rate of accuracy (still plenty of cases when I disagree), and a great deal of experience.

Accuracy in what sense?