| The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs 2003/4 : The Guide to Excellence in Recorded Classical Music (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Dvds)by Edward Greenfield, Ivan March, Robert Layton  (18 customer reviews)Paperback: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 (Penguin (Non-Classics))
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Editorial ReviewsBook Description The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs is the largest and most comprehensive survey of classical music on digital audio and video discs ever published. It covers thousands of recordings, offering candid evaluation of their relative artistic and technical merits, highlighting notable performances, and pinpointing the best buys. This guide takes into account the many hundreds of new and reissued CDs and DVDs that have appeared in recent years while also including all the major recordings of each work-from remastered vintage recordings to the latest releases. This essential reference work is designed to help select the very best video and music discs available today. |
Reader Reviews |
| Comprehensive but subjective; use caution , Monday, October 17, 2005 I have used various editions of this guide for more than a decade. I have also compared it to many other guides out there, including Grammaphone, Rough Guide, NPR Guide, All Music Guide, etc. It is much more comprehensive than any of these other guides--you can find all the major recordings rather than just a few the editors select. The ratings are pretty accurate, too. My only complaint through years has been the British bias it exhibits. The best way around this is to listen to various artists, which of course may not always be possible. Sometimes I also use the following principle (which I have often violated, though): If the piece is recorded by a countryman or an orchestra of the nationalty of the composer, and it has received three stars, prefer that to any English artist/orchestra even if the latter has higher ranking. So my Satie piano works CD is by Entremont, Schostakovich by Borodin Quartet, etc. I know this is too simplistic, and it may not always be advisable. For example, the British pioneered the authentic performance movement, and once the acidity of their violin tones were corrected, we ended up with some marvelous new performances of the classical repertoire on smaller ensembles. In sum, if one can show a little care for its biasses, it is a highly valuable guide. |
 A premium product!, Friday, October 07, 2005This book is one of several that provide reviews of recorded classical music. However, in my humble opinion, I have found the Penguin guide provides the best guidance to the merits (or otherwise) of a classical recording. I also feel it to be the most comprehesive of the books I have seen on this subject matter (and as such, is quite substantial in size). The presentation style of the book is easy to follow. It lists the composers in alphabetical order. It then groups the composers works into their various forms ie. symphonies, concertos, choral works, opera etc. You will find that the book reviews a good cross section of the composers musical output. The works are then rated out of 3 stars (3 stars being the best). Any performance/recording that is considered exceptional (for one reason or another) is indicated by a rosette. Details are then provided regarding the names of the performers, the record company music label and the CD identification number etc. However, beyond the ratings and details, I feel the most important part of the book is in reading the review itself. The review can range in length from a couple of sentences to several paragraphs. This is where you can find a summary of the performance providing information about styles of playing, tempos used,the quality of the recording etc. Although the one to three star rating gives some guidance, the review is more likely to influence your decision which CD to buy. If you wish to get serious regarding the purchasing of Classical music CD's, this is the guide I would recommend above all others. Happy listening! |
| Excellent in every review, Wednesday, August 24, 2005 I would never buy a c.d. with out consulting this book. Have been using the books for the last 20 years. Have always been most satisfied with their recommendations |
 good doorstop, Saturday, November 27, 2004While 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. |
| Indispensable, Friday, November 26, 2004 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. |
