Who ARE the music critics in Gramaphone?

I find the criticism in this magazine terribly wide spread, often weak kneed, or perplexing at times to a point that I don't understand a single word. So I was curious as to just WHO these men are that review these new recordings.....

........ and why in the world do 99% of Naxos recording critricism end with something like:

'Since its a Naxos recording and cheap you might just as well invest in it.'

Somehow doesn't seem fair, either way, to the music which should stand on its own no matter what the price.

The writers for Gramophone come from various backgrounds, so it's not easily said who 'they' are. That also accounts for the various styles of writing, though personally I consider this a strength of the magazine rather than a weakness. After a while, some reviewers will usually be more to your liking than others.

As far as Naxos recordings go, I find they are reviewed completely on their own terms and not given any 'bargain label bonus', though of course the fact that these recordings are inexpensive (and keep in mind that in the UK

Gramophone critics are members of the Ancient Order of Penguins. Little is known about this secret order except that its origins predate intelligent thought. They meet in secret, wear strange apparel, have funny handshakes and perform a ritual called LTMSFI. Nobody has yet proved that this can be done, but since everything is the subject of mystical ritual, nobody seems to care and the cult continues from century to century.

If you think Andy's joking, be aware that the Ancient Order of Penguins are human traitors to their kind, traitors who work closely together with real penguins. It's all part of the master plan for world domination. Thankfully, there are expository pages like this one:

I don't think this is true. Average price of a full price classical CD in Britain is around $20 equivalent, including tax. My impression is that this is about the same as the store price in most of the US (typically, $17-18, plus tax). Not many full-price classical CDs around in American stores for $10, including tax.

Harry Collier

Hmmm, I think $24 - $26 is probably closer to the truth. At least, that's about what they cost in Ireland, and these things have always been reasonably close between the UK and Ireland.

I regularly pay £13 full price at Bath Compact Discs. That translates to around $19.50 - $21.00 depending on the exchange rate at the time.

Harry Collier

Oh, okay, well, good for the Brits, then. I was comparing the prices in the Penguin Guide and Gramophone, and they list CDs costing in the US 7.- dollars as costing in the UK 7.- pound

A full-price CD in a store in London is c. 16 pounds unless there's a new promotional sale or some such. At present exchange rates that's c. $25.50. Of course, if you buy from MDT it's much cheaper - but if you buy from the equivalent in the U.S. it's also much cheaper. J&R's store in NY tends to charge c. $12 (pre tax) for new releases from 'major' labels, which goes up a few weeks later by a couple of dollars or so.

Not that it matters much. Anyway, doesn't Gramophone occasionally blast Naxos releases? As for who their reviewers are, each issue contains a brief blurb about one or two of them. More than a few academics are among their writers. Overall they strike me as far better than a decade or more ago (no-one there now is as inept as, say, Trevor Harvey, who seemed incapable of saying anything useful about a recording and couldn't tell the difference between the voices of Gundula Janowitz and Christa Ludwig).

Well, I've recently decided that there's just no point in buying CDs or DVDs (especially DVDs) in High Street shops any more. I few moments spent on the net will nearly always pay dividends. After HMV tried to charge me 28 Euro for an organ CD I had been looking for, I decided enough was enough.

Oddly enough, when I have ordered a disc, let's say a Naxos one for the sake arguement, from MDT, my British source, it arrives in Minneapolis FASTER than if I had ordered it in the USA and it also, strangely enough, doesn't seem to cost anymore (even with shipping costs) than having bought it locally (sans the local tax). I like