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Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection

(Revision 3 DRAFT, 6/1/94)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. BEGINNER'S GUIDE

III. NETWORK RESOURCES

IV. OPERA RECOMMENDATIONS

V. MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS

VI. PUBLICATIONS

VII. SOCIETIES

VIII. MAIL ORDER SOURCES

I. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this Guide is to provide an overview of many of the considerations and factors associated with building a classical CD collection. This Guide is not meant to be a complete source of information related to performers and recommended releases, but, rather, is designed to provide a common point of reference for finding and using all known resources of data of interest to the CD collector.

The author welcomes feedback, suggestions, additions, and corrections to this information as applicable.

II. BEGINNER'S GUIDE

Though classical music appeals to many people, the diversity, complexity and even the mystique of "classical Music" can be rather intimidating. Granted, there is much to know, and much to learn, concerning this music (many people have devoted their lives to studying obscure facets of musicology), but the encouraging thing about this art form is that you can enjoy what your are hearing without knowing exactly why. So, while detailed study, investigation, reading, whatever, may perhaps enhance the enjoyment of the music even further, a scholarly approach is fundamentally not required. All that is required is a desire to explore and discover new musical territory. The classical music genre is rich enough to provide a lifetime of wonder and surprises, and a nearly limitless potential for discovery makes the journey well worth the effort.

The basic question is, "Where do I begin?" The important thing to remember is that everyone has been confronted with this same decision at some point. A certain piece, performer or composer may have cuaght their attention through either hearing a piece at a concert, on a movie soundtrack, or even a commercial on TV. Once the listener has a toehold then there are a number of different methodologies by which one can go about exploring classical music, and each person is bound to take an individual path. The purpose of this guide, therefore, is to provide some basic information, including tips on possible avenues of investigation, that will be useful to the novice and experienced listener alike.

It seems that you've already made a good start to investigating the world of classical music. The basic methodology I found to be effective in building a good library of recordings, even though I didn't know much about it when I started, was to:

1) Listen to as much music as you can.

Many college and community libraries have very large collections of classical CDs that can be checked out. Also, listening to the radio can be a good source. Concerts can be very effective as well, though they can be expensive. Many colleges have free recitals and very low cost concerts available, and community music groups often have low-cost concerts throughout the year. Experiencing live music will help to familiarize you with what real music sounds like and help make you a better judge of recording and performance quality.

Participating in various newsgroups and mailing lists available on the Internet, CompuServe and other on-line services is also an effective to become a part of ongoing conversations about music, performers, recordings, composers and many related topics.

2) Make note of the piece and composer.

A) Most pieces fall into four basic categories:

• Orchestral (symphonies, concertos, suites, overtures, serenades, etc.)
• Chamber (piano trios, string quartets, wind quintets, etc.)
• Keyboard (piano sonatas, organ works, harpsichord works, etc.)
• Vocal (opera, lieder/song, oratorios, sacred choral music such as masses and motets, etc.).

Many people prefer one category over the other, at least initially.

B) Get to know the composer

Knowing the composer is important because this provides a somewhat reliable guide to other pieces that should investigated. If you hear one piece you like by a certain composer, then there is a fair chance you'll like other major pieces by the same composer. Learning about times and lives of major composers can be very enlightening. There are many beginner-oriented biographies and dictionaries available that can provide basic information about a composer's life and works, and about musical terminology in general. Even the notes that come with the recordings can be a good source of basic information.

3) Find A Good Recording

Once you know the piece and its composer, you can then check any one of several sources for the best recording of that work. Other than the All-Music Guide, I suggest the Stevenson Guide as the best overall source. Also the Penguin Guide is a good reference, as are the primary review publications: Fanfare, American record Guide & Gramophone. Once you have some experience you can determine which source best fits your own personal taste and needs. Above all, remember that, in the end, it matters little if your tastes coincide with those of the critics. There is no one best performance of a piece, so if you like it, and it brings you pleasure, don't be dissuaded by reviews you might read. There are often many excellent recordings and performances of a major work available, so don't get discouraged by the varied selection. One of the most controversial topics in performance and interpretation is the use of historical instruments, and/or employing historical performance practices (A discussion of historically-informed performance practice). Another thing to keep in mind when deciding on a certain CD may be price. Unlike any other musical genre, there are many great performances of a certain piece, and some of them may cost as little as $5. Don't let the low price fool you. There is often no correlation between price and recording/performance quality, and the extremely low cost of some releases can provide great opportunities for experimentation without a lot of risk. Don't be afraid to trust your own instincts. If a recording and performance moves you, you don't need to check other sources to see if it's OK. Music is a personal experience.

4) Find A Good CD Store

Finding a good CD store from which to buy the CD you want can be a little frustrating in certain parts of the world. My basic advice is to find a store that has a good selection and wait for sales. Most stores have monthly or quarterly sales which can save you $1-4 per CD. This is less critical for bargain ($5-7) CDs. A good store should also have copies of the Stevenson and/or Penguin guides for in-store use. It is also nice if the store has a knowledgeable and helpful staff, but this is very rare. Since many less-urban areas don't have a good store, mail order is often the least expensive, or only way to find the music you want. Any of the above-mentioned publications lists several good mail order firms.

5) What's Next?

OK, so now you have a good CD of music you really like, what next? This Basic Repertoire List and associated files is designed in such a way that once you know you like at least one piece by given composer, you can begin to branch out to other works, composers and periods. For instance, let's say you've bought a CD of Mozart's symphonies #40 & 41, and like them a great deal. You may try other symphonies by Mozart (e.g., #38), or you might want to try symphonies by another composer. In this case, it might be best to stay within the same period (in this case Classicism), so the symphonies by Haydn (#45, 94, 101 & 104) or Beethoven (e.g., #3, 5, 6 & 9) would be a good place to start. If you find you particularly like Mozart, you might start exploring the major piano concertos (e.g., #20, 21 & 23) or serenades (e.g., #7, #10-13). You can then start branching out and listen to Mozart's piano sonatas or string quartets, and so on.

Another avenue might be to investigate the roots of the symphony (via the concerto grosso, suites and sinfonias of the Baroque era) or to see how the symphony developed after Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn by looking into the symphonies of the Romantic period. The Basic Repertoire List provides a "road map" for any of these explorations. Repeat steps #1-4 each time you identify a new piece you want to know more about, and don't be afraid to customize the process depending on your own likes or dislikes. I've always found that keeping lists of potential pieces or recordings I want to add to my collection (a want list) is very helpful. After a while the whole process will become second nature.

Commonly asked questions:

Last time I was at the local music store, I compared several CDs of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture, and noticed that the times differed by as much as 1 minute! Does this mean that it may be slightly cut off in the shorter time performance? This complicates CD buying.

Timing differences are due to differing tempi (as set by the conductor) or to the taking of repeats (mostly applicable to older pieces, i.e., classical period or earlier). This brings up an important point. Once you start listening to more music, you may identify certain musicians and conductors you like better than others. So, what does a conductor do? Here's some information to help answer that very question:

During the actual concert, the conductors duties are simply to begin the piece, provide tempo reminders, and queues of various sorts as aids to the musicians. If an orchestra has been very thoroughly prepared, these might not be necessary. A band director I worked with once said something to the effect that during rehearsals, he expected 90% of our attention to be on him and 10% on the sheet music, but during performances, 90% of our attention should be on the music, and perhaps 10% on him. This seems to be a valid and pertinent guideline.

The need for a conductor during performance was originally identified prior to the time when ensembles had an established repertoire (or musical canon, as some have called it). In olden times (pretty much any time up until the early 20^th century), orchestras were constantly having to learn new music, and rarely played a piece over and over again over many years. Given the quick turnover in pieces being played, there often was not enough time to practice a piece thoroughly before the concert. Sometimes orchestras were doing very little more than sight-reading a piece in front of an audience. In these cases, conductors (who were often the composers themselves) played a clearly vital in keeping the ensemble together, leading the tempi, queuing solos and indicating dynamics.

The director's job these days is really quite different. The director often seeks to create a unique interpretation of a well-known, often-played, composition. This composition may be something like Beethoven's 5th, which has undoubtedly been performed tens of thousands of times (maybe more!) and is undoubtedly well known to the musicians in the orchestra. A good director (who is also a musician), will have studied the score in great detail (all parts), perhaps have studied the history of the piece in order to establish a historical context and/or to check the accuracy of a published score vs. the original manuscript and prepare a performing version of the score if necessary, and perhaps even listen to the interpretations of others (though any director will have heard a piece such as the 5^th many times in concert). Based on this investigation she/he will have come up with a unique vision of the piece, and therefore have a desire to realize this vision.

During the process of rehearsal, the director communicates his/her vision of the piece to the musicians in the ensemble, and to varying degrees may adjust that vision based on feedback from the individual members of the ensemble. In essence, the director presents a proposal and then acts as arbiter (though sometimes an autocratic one) for the musical decisions made concerning the way a piece is performed.

A good director is very much more than just a baton-waver. This is why you often read or hear references to various recordings as "Klemperer's Haydn" or "Horenstein's Mahler" or "Norrington's Beethoven". Good directors have a vision of a piece that brings to light, in a penetrating and often touching way, aspects of the music's artistry for the audience. This is a non-trivial task, and this is why director's are sometimes cherished.

Of course, sometimes an orchestra programs a piece because it's expected, popular, or contractually obligated to for a recording company. The vision of the director may not be the driving force, and indeed may be absent entirely. The performance that results is often mundane or even bad, in any case it is less than effective, and best forgotten. The instances where the director's vision is strong; the ability of the director to communicate that vision to the musicians in the ensemble and create a unified whole; the ensemble possesses the necessary musicianship to transmit the music as a whole to the audience; the effect on the audience of the composer's work and the director's vision of that work is powerful, are few and far between. However, this is the goal. Not simply to lead a ensemble through the written music in front of a group of spectators.

Should one look only for DDD recordings as opposed to ADD or AAD? This further complicates CD purchasing.

No, the SPARS code is pretty much meaningless in and of itself. There are many awful digital recordings (and digital recordings of awful performances) and many, many more incredibly good analog recordings of great performances. If sound is a main concern (and it is for most people) you will probably want to stick to recordings from the late 50s through the present, though some early stereo and even late mono recordings are excellent (much better than you might guess). High-quality magnetic tape equipment started becoming available about 1954.

The definition of the SPARS (Society of Professional Audio Recording Studios) code included on many CDs is:

DDD

Digital tape recorder used during session recording, mixing and/or editing, and mastering (transcription).

ADD

Analog tape recorder used during session recording; digital tape recorder used during subsequent mixing and/or editing, and mastering (transcription).

AAD

Analog tape recorder used during session recording and subsequent mixing and/or editing; digital tape recorder used during mastering (transccription).

The letters in the code indicate what type of tape recorder was utilized at each step in the process - original recording, editing/mixing, and mastering/ transcription respectively. Digital tape recorders are fairly inexpensive these days, however, a 32 or 64 track digital editing/mixing console is still pricy. So what is often done is to make a digital 32 track recording of the original performance, run it through a D/A converter into an analog mixing console, back out through a A/D converter to a 2-track digital edit tape. This same process may occur on the way to a digital master tape. If the SPARS code was meant to represent the totality of the technology used, then the code would be something like DADAD, but according to the definition, the CD can carry a code of DDD, even though the signal has been processed in its analog form several times in the process.

Some companies are adding "pure digital" or "completely in the digital domain" to their labels to signify that the entire process was digital, with no D/A and A/D conversion. Some companies actually do without the first step entirely (analogous to direct-to-disc LPs) and mix on the fly, then transcribe to the digital master. For instance Digital Music Productions, a jazz label, is known for this. For this type of recording, the SPARS code might be -DD.

Since CDs are digital, then by definition the master tape from which the CD is made must be digital as well. Therefore, all recordings that were originally analog, are re-mastered to digital for the CD medium. Be aware that the phrase "digitally remastered from the original analog tape" means nothing more than a necessary step was followed in getting the music into the digital domain and ready for encoding on the CD. Most people thought this meant that the recording was remixed/edited digitally as well, but that is not what this means.

As to which is better: Taken by itself, the code is not an indicator of recording quality in any specific sense. Depending on your leanings regarding the acceptability of digital technology in general, utilizing digital technology might be said to result in a higher potential for low noise, wider dynamic range, low distortion, etc, recordings. As with any tool, though, the technology is only as good as the application. It's perfectly possible to make a terrible recording using the latest in digital technology. If anything, the more sophisticated and complex the gadgetry, the more potential for error. Early digital recordings often fell victim to engineers that didn't grasp the subtleties of the technology.

For classical recordings, which have a long history of fine engineering and depend greatly on the musicianship and interpretation, the SPARS code should not be a prime determining factor in choosing one recording over another.

Should one look for particular conductors/orchestras performing that piece? This really complicates CD selection!

Yes, but this can be very subjective, and preferences can change dramatically over time. Move slowly and form your own opinions based on your own listening and reading. This is one of the more interesting and fun aspects of collecting, and it's not really as hard as you might imagine. There is no single best way of interpreting all music, so conductors invariably have better success in some works than in others. A great conductor of Mozart, may not have any affinity for Mahler, and vice versa.

I was recently listening to The Planets by Holst. Strangely enough, as much as I liked the movement with the title "Mars", I thought the remainder of the CD in its entirety was boring.

This could be due to the performance. It could also be due to the fact that good classical music has a great many nuances that may not be apparent on first hearing. Some have defined a musical masterpiece as a work that is pleasing upon first hearing, and then on repeated listenings reveals even more musical wonders. Most really good music requires a bit of attention and experience. Much as a great painting might require more than a quick glance for full appreciation. Listen to it again carefully. Put it on as background music while you do something else. Put it away for a while and listen to other classical music. No guarantees, but your impression of a piece after living with it for a while may be quite different.

Any recommendations for my tastes?

As you start to listen to more, and can say what you like, it's a lot easier for someone to suggest something new. Everyone's taste is so different. Reading the net, and other classical music periodicals can be a good resource. Also, don't hesitate to ask for suggestions.

III. NETWORK RESOURCES

Available as a complement to this guide are a series of lists assembled by the author. A description of the lists available follows:

Basic Repertoire List For Building A Library Of Classical Recordings - This list is arranged by period and composers and gives recommended compositions that are generally recognized as basic to the repertoire, and provides a common reference for continued exploration of the works of a given composer or musical period.

Recommended Classical Compact Discs - This is a series of seven lists, broken down by genre (keyboard, chamber, concertos and orchestral) and general chronological groups (early and late) and provide a list of recordings that the author recommends. These lists are cross-referenced to the Basic Repertoire List described above. All recordings listed are part of the author's private collection.

These lists are also available in PostScript(tm) format for printing on laser printers that fully support the standard.

These lists are meant to provide on-line access to information that a collector may use to make buying decisions and quickly and easily find recordings that would be valuable additions to a personal library. The format lends itself to easy access via any ASCII text editor with a search function. See section

There are also a number of computerized discussion groups available on various bulletin boards and networks. Most of the major commercial networks (GEnie, Prodigy, Compuserve) run disucssion groups that deal with musical topics. The laregst, and perhaps most authoritative, group of classical music enthusiasts participates in a NetNews newsgroup (rec.music.classical) widely distributed on the Internet, Usenet, Uunet and Bitnet. This group had 39,000 subscribers as of February 1993, many of whom are hghly knowledgeable musicologists and music historians. Also, there are at least three resources available to users that have electronic mail access to Internet or Bitnet.

Classical Music Commercial Sites on the Net

Please see the Retail, Mail Order & CD Clubs Page

IV. OPERA RECOMMENDATIONS

I generate my Recommended CD files from a database I keep on my music. My recommendations come from first hand experience as every CD I recommend I actually own. For any list of recommendations some "ground rules" have to be established so that the recommendations are meaningful and people will know what they are looking at.

I also think it's important to make sure that recommended recordings are actually available. This essentially means that if it isn't out on CD, it isn't available. I find that many people give recommendations from their LP library, and this isn't very useful since no one can actually purchase the recording. If people want to make recommendations as to what recordings to look out for that may be released in the future, then that may be best handled in a separate list. A similar situation exists with respect to tapes.

It is also very important to give complete information with each suggestion including timing, precise label and catalog number, SPARS if known and all performers/parts.

The following list was originally distributed on rec.music.classical and started with a Paul Korenhof book called something like "The 100 Most Beautiful Operas" in which he also gives recommendations as to recordings. The list is not current, so a bit of research may be needed to identify availability and catalog numbers (See a recent issue of Opus). In addition to the original Korenhof list, contributions were made by some of the rec.music.classical regulars (e.g., Jon Alan Conrad who is a contributing opera critic for the NY Times) as well as some published information by the opera critic Charles Osborne. This list was originally prepared by Bart Gerritse based on input from all comtributors.

The recordings were selected the recordings using the following criteria:

1. If on a constant high level, his favourite version
2. If his favourite has serious flaws, then the second, etc.
3. All must be (have been) available on CD.

I have collected the responses on this list. Major contributors are Jon Conrad, Vinh Nguyen and Charles Osborne (posted by Alak Chakravorty).

Barber Vanessa CO Mitropoulos/Steber/Gedda/Elias Beethoven Fidelio PK,VN,CO Klemperer/Ludwig/Vickers/Frick Bellini La Sonnambula PK Votto/Callas/Zaccaria/Cossoto/Monti CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Bellini Norma PK,VN,CO Serafin/Callas/Corelli/Ludwig VN Serafin/Callas/Del Monaco/Stignani Bellini I Puritani PK,VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Berg Wozzeck PK Abbado/Grundheber/Behrens JC,CO Bohm/Fischer-Dieskau/Lear Berg Lulu PK Boulez/Stratas/Minton CO Bohm/Lear Berlioz Les Troyens PK,VN,CO Davis/Vickers/Veasey Berlioz Benvenuto… CO,PD Davis/Gedda/Massard/Eda-Pierre Bernstein West Side Story CO Original Cast Recording Bizet Carmen PK,JC Solti/Troyanos/Domingo/van Dam VN /Victoria de los Angeles CO Pretre/Callas/Gedda/Massard Boito Mefistofele PK Rudel/Treigle/Domingo/Caballe Britten Peter Grimes PK Davis/Vickers/Harper JC,CO Britten/Pears/Watson Britten The Prodigal… PK Britten/Pears/Shirley-Quirk Britten The Turn of… JC Davis Britten Billy Budd CO Britten/Pears/Glossop/Langdon Britten Death in Venice CO Bedford/Pears/Shirley-Quirk Britten A Midsummer… CO Britten/Deller/Harwood/Brannigan Charpentier Louise PK Pretre/Cotrubas/Domingo/Berbie Cilea Adriana Lec… PK Capuana/Tebaldi/Del Monaco D'Albert Tiefland EB (Acanta) Debussy Pelléas et… PK Dutoit/Alliot-Lugaz/Henry CO Ensermet/Maurane/Spoorenberg Delibes Lakme PK,VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Bacquier/Vanzo Donizetti L'Elisir… VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti/Cossa CO Molinari-Pradelli/Gueden/diStefano Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia PK Perlea/Caballe/Flagello/Kraus VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Arragall/Horne Donizetti Lucia di… PK,VN Karajan/Callas/Di Stefano/Panerai VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti/Milnes Donizetti La Fille du… PK Campanella/Anderson/Kraus VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Donizetti Don Pasquale PK Sabajno/Badini/Schipa/Poli CO Kertesz/Sciutti/Corena/Oncina Donizetti Anna Bolena VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Hadley CO Varviso/Suliotis/Ghiaurov/Horne Donizetti Mary Stuarda VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Donizetti Roberto Dev… VN Rudel/Caballe/Carreras Dvořák Rusalka PK Neuman/Novak/Benackova Enesco Oedipe PK Foster/Van Dam/Bacquier/Gedda Erkel Bank Ban PK Forencsik/Solyom-Nagy/Komlossy/Reti Falla La Vide Breve PK Fruhbeck de Burgos/De Los Angeles Gershwin Porgy and Bess PK Rattle/White/Haymon JC DeMain CO Maazel/White/Mitchell Giordano Andrea Chenier PK Gavazeni/Del Monaco/Tebaldi CO Levine/Scotto/Domingo/Milnes Glinka A life for… PK Markevich/Christoff/Stich-Randall Gluck Orfeo ed… PK Gardiner/Von Otter/Hendricks CO de Froment/Gedda/Verrett/Moffo ??? JC Solti/Horne Gluck Iphigénie… PK Gardiner/Montague/Allen/Aler Gounod Roméo et… PK,VN Plasson/Kraus/Malfitano/Van Dam Gounod Faust VN,CO Cluytens/de los Angeles/Gedda Handel Flavio PK Jacobs/Gall/Ragin/Lootens Handel Tamerlano PK Gardiner/Ragin/Robson/Argenta Handel Giulio Cesare CO Bohm/Fischer-Dieskau/Seefried Humperdinck Hansel und… PK Tate/Von Otter/Bonney/Lipovšek CO Eichorn/Donath/Moffo/Ludwig Humperdinck Konigskinder PK Walberg/Dallapozza/Donath/Prey Janáček Jenůfa PK,VN Mackerras/Soderstrom/Randova Janáček The Cunning… PK Mackerras/Popp/Randova/Marova Janáček From the… PK Mackerras/Zahradnicek/Zidek/Zitek Lehar Lustige Witwe VN Matacic/Schwarzkopf/Gedda/Weachter CO,JC Ackermann/Schwarzkopf/Kunz Leoncavallo Pagliacci PK Cellini/Björling/De Los Angeles CO Serafin/diStefano/Callas/Gobbi Lortzing Der wildschutz PK Heger/Prey/Litz/Wunderlich Lully Atys PK Christie/De Mey/Laurens/Mellon Mascagni Cavalleria… PK Santini/De Los Angeles/Corelli JC Karajan JC /Tebaldi/Björling CO Serafin/Callas/diStefano/Panerai Massenet Manon PK,VN Monteux/De Los Angeles/Legay/Dens VN Plasson/Cotrubas/Krauss/Quilico CO Rudel/Sills/Gedda Massenet Esclarmonde PK Bonynge/Sutherland/Tourangeau Massenet Werther PK Plasson/Trotanos/Kraus/Manuguerra VN Davis/von Stade/Carreras CO Pretre/Gedda/De Los Angeles Massenet Thais VN Etchevery/Doria/Vanzo/Massard Menotti The Consul CO Engel/Neway Meyerbeer L'Africaine CO Perisson/Verrett/Domingo Meyerbeer Les Huguenots VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Arroyo Meyerbeer Le Prophete VN Lewis/Horne/McCracken/Scotto Moussorgski Boris Godounov PK Cluytens/Christoff/Alexieva CO Dobrowen/Christoff/Gedda Moussorgski Khovanschina PK Abbado/Haugland/Atlantov/Popov Monteverdi La Favola d'… PK Corboz/Tappy/Schwartz/Staempfli Monteverdi Incoronazione.. PK Jacobs/Borst/Laurens/Larmore Mozart Entfuehrung… CO,JC Bohm/Auger/Schreier Mozart Idomeneo PK,JC Gardiner/Rolfe Johnson/Von Otter CO Davis/Shirley/Davies Mozart Le Nozze di… PK,VN Giulini/Taddei/Moffo/Wachter CO Kleiber,E/Gueden/Siepi/Della Casa Mozart Don Giovanni PK Haitink/Allen/Vaness/Lewis VN,CO Guilini/Waechter/Schwarzkopf/Taddei Mozart Cosí fan Tutte PK,VN Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Merriman JC Leinsdorff JC Solti JC Haitink VN,CO Boehm/Schwarzkopf/Ludwig Mozart La Clemenza… PK Kertesz/Krenn/Berganza/Casula JC Davis JC Gardiner Mozart Die Zauberflote PK Levine/Cotrubas/Tappy/Boesch VN,CO Klemperer/Janowitz/Putz/Popp Nicolai Die Lustige… PK Heger/Frick/Gutstein/Engen Offenbach Orphee… PK Plasson/Rhodes/Mesple/Senechal Offenbach Les Contes… PK Cambreling/Shicoff/Murray/Serra VN,JC Bonynge/Domingo/Sutherland CO Cluytens/Gedda/d'Angelo Offenbach La Belle Helene VN,SM Plasson/Norman/Aler/Bacquier Offenbach La Grande-Duch. NH Pepusch The Beggar's… CO Austin/Noble/Prietto/Lipton Pfitzner Palestrina PK Kubelik/Ridderbusch/Weikl Ponchielli La Gioconda VN Bartoletti/Caballe/Pavarotti CO,JC Gardelli/Tebaldi/Bergonzi/Horne Prokofieff Amour des… PK Nagano/Bacquier/Viala/Perraguin JC (Melodia, 60s) Puccini La Boheme PK,VN,CO Beecham/De Los Angeles/Björling VN,CO Karajan/Freni/Pavarotti Puccini Tosca PK,VN,CO De Sabata/Callas/Di Stefano/Gobbi Puccini Madama But… PK,CO Barbirolli/Scotto/Bergonzi VN Gavazzeni/De los Angeles/Di Stefano Puccini La Rondine PK,CO Molinari-Pradelli/Moffo/Barioni VN Maazel/Te Kanawa/Domingo/Nicolesco Puccini La Fanciulla… PK,CO Mehta/Neblett/Domingo/Milnes Puccini Turandot PK Molinari-Pradelli/Nilsson/Corelli VN,CO,JC Mehta/Sutherland/Pavarotti CO Molinari-Pradelli/Nilsson/Björling Puccini Manon Lescaut VN Sinopoli/Freni/Domingo/Bruson CO Bartoletti/Domingo/Caballe Purcell Dido and Aeneas PK Leppard/Norman/Allen CO Lewis/Baker/Herincx Ravel L' Heure… PK Maazel/Berbie/Giraudeau/Bacquier CO Ensermet/Danco Ravel L' Enfant… PK Maazel/Ogeas/Collard/Berbie CO Ensermet/Wend/Danco Rimski-Korsakov Shnegourochka PK Fedosejev/Archipova/Vedernikov Rossini L' Italiana… PK,CO Varviso/Berganza/Alva/Corena VN /Horne Rossini Il Barbiere… PK Marriner/Allen/Baltsa/Araiza CO Galliera/Callas/Gobbi/Alva Rossini Semiramide PK Bonynge/Sutherland/Horne Rossini Il Viaggio… PK Abbado/Gasdia/Terrani/Cuberli Rossini La Cenerentola CO de Fabritiis/Simionato/Benelli Rossini Guilaumme Tell VN,CO Gardelli/Caballe/Gedda/Bacquier Saint-Saëns Samson et… PK Pretre/Gorr/Vickers/Blanc VN Patane/Ludwig/King Schreker Der ferne Klang (Marco Polo) Schreker Die Schatzgraeber (Cappriccio) Schreker Die Gezeichneten (Marco Polo) Schubert Fierrabras PK Abbado/Holl/Mattila/Hampson Shostakovich The Nose PK Rosjdestvenski/Achimov/Belich Shostakovich Lady Macbeth… BH GR Rostropovich/Vishnesvskya Smetana The Bartered… PK Kempe/Lorengar/Wunderlich/Frick CO Chalabala/Tikalova/Zidek Sondheim Sweeney Todd CO Original Cast Recording Strauss, J Die Fledermaus PK Karajan/Kmentt/Gueden/Koth VN Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Streich/Gedda CO Krauss/Lipp/Gueden/Berry Strauss, J The Gypsy Baron CO Ackermann/Gedda/Schwarzkopf/Kunz Strauss, R Elektra PK,CO Solti/Resnik/Nilsson/Collier Strauss, R Salome VN,JC Leinsdorf/Caballe/Lewis/Resnik VN,CO Solti/Nilsson/Hoffman/Stolze VN Karajan/Behrens/Böhme/Baltsa JC Sinopoli/Studer Strauss, R Der Rosen… PK Kleiber, E/Reining/Weber/Jurinac VN,CO Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Ludwig JC Solti Strauss, R Die Frau… PK Sawallisch/Kollo/Studer/Schwarz VN Solti/Varady/Domingo/Behrens CO Bohm/Hopf/Rysanek/Scoeffler Strauss, R Arabella PK Sawallisch/Berry/Schmidt/Varady VN Tate/Te Kanawa CO Solti/Della Casa/London/Gueden Stravinsky Oedipus Rex CO Solti/Pears/Meyer/McCowen Stravinsky Rake's Progress CO Stravinsky/Young/Raskin/Reardon JC Atherton/Langridge Tippett The Midsummer.. CO Davis/Carlyle/Remedios Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin CO Rostropovich/Masurok/Vishnevskaya Tchaikovsky The Queen… PK Tchakarov/Ochman/Konsoelov Verdi Ernani CO Schippers/Price/Bergonzi/Sereni Verdi Nabucco CO Gardelli/Suliotis/Gobbi Verdi Luisa Miller CO Cleva/Moffo/Bergonzi/MacNeil Verdi Macbeth PK,CO Leinsdorf/Warren/Rysanek/Hines JC Muti Verdi Rigoletto PK Solti/Merrill/Moffo/Kraus JC Kubelik/F-D/Bergonzi/Scotto/Cossotto VN Serafin/Gobbi/Callas/Di Stefano CO Cellini/Warren/Berger/Peerce Verdi Il Trovatore PK,CO Cellini/Björling/Milanov/Warren VN Mehta/Price/Domingo/Cosotto Verdi La Traviata PK Ghione/Callas/Kraus/Sereni CO Pritchard/Sutherland/Bergonzi Verdi Simon Bocc… PK,CO Abbado/Cappuccilli/Freni/Ghiaurov Verdi Un Ballo… PK,VN,CO Leinsdorf/Price/Bergonzi/Merrill VN Solti/M. Price/Pavarotti/Bruson Verdi La Forza… PK,VN,CO Schippers/Price/Tucker/Merrill VN Levine/Price/Domingo/Milness/Cosotto Verdi Don Carlos PK,CO Giulini/Domingo/Caballe/Verrett VN Abbado/Domingo/Riciarelli/Terrini/Nuci Verdi Aïda PK,JC Perlea/Milanov/Barbieri/Björling VN,JC Solti/Price/Vickers/Gorr JC Muti/Caballe/Cossotto/Domingo CO,JC Serafin/Tucker/Callas/Barbieri Verdi Otello PK,CO Serafin/Vickers/Gobbi/Andreolli JC,CO Toscanini/Vinay JC Karajan JC,VN Levine/Domingo/Scotto/Milnes Verdi Falstaff PK,CO Karajan/Gobbi/Alva/Panerai VN Giulini/Bruson Wagner Der fliegende.. PK,CO Klemperer/Adam/Silja/Talvela Wagner Lohengrin PK,CO Kempe/Thomas/Grummer/Frick VN Solti/Domingo/Norman JC Kubelik/Janowitz/King Wagner Tristan… PK Bohm/Windgassen/Talvela/Nilsson CO Karajan/Vickers/Dernesch Wagner Meistersinger.. PK Karajan/Edelmann/Dalberg/Kunz JC,CO Karajan/Donath/Kollo/Adam VN Jochum/Fisher-Dieskau/Ligendza/Lagger Wagner Der Ring… PK, VN Solti/Nilsson/Windgassen CO Karajan CO Bohm Wagner Die Walküre PK Leinsdorf/Nilsson/Brouwenstijn JC Solti (as above) Wagner Tannhäuser CO VN Sinopoli/Domingo/Studer/Baltsa/Salminen Wagner Parsifal PK Solti/Dieskau/Hotter/Frick CO Knappertbusch/Thomas/London Weill Aufstieg und… CO Bruckner-Ruggeberg/Lenya/Saverbaum Dreigroschen… CO Bruckner-Ruggeberg/Lenya/Schellow Initials in the third column indicate that the recording following the initials is considered to be very good (often even the best) by the owner of these initials. In case of PK, it also indicates that this opera was in the original list. If no recording follows the initials this means this opera is one of the most beautiful 100 operas, or simply that it's a very beautiful opera, in the opinion of the owner of the initials.

EB Eric E. Bowles JC Jon Conrad PD Peter DeLafosse NH Nadine S Harris BH Bill McHenry SM Scott Marley VN Vinh Nguyen CO Charles Osborne PK Paul Korenhof GR Gavin Ramsay Paul Korenhof is the author of the list as in the original posting. He is chief-editor of "Opera Skala", as far as I know the only full-color magazine on Opera in the Netherlands, and of "Luister", the leading magazine on classical music.

For operas where there is no JC, Jon Conrad agrees with PK (at least that the recording PK picks is good; there is no recording obviously better, in JC's opinion) "Die Zauberflote" is the only exception on this (as far as becomes clear from JC's postings).

The CO recommendations come from a list, similar to Korenhof's. Alak Chakravorty posted it. He got it from a book from 1983 by Charles Osborne. Obviously no recordings from after 1983 are included.

V. MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS

Due to the use of a generally public domain repertoire, there is far more diversity in the availability of classical music recordings than there is in other genres of music. For instance, there are currently more than thirty available recordings of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" that run the gamut from ultra-budget ($3) to premium ($17 or more) in price, and range from the sublime to the ridiculous in the quality of the performance and/or recording. Various resources are available to the collector to assist in determining how best to spend his or her money. Many publications are available that contain reviews by professionals who have access to a very wide variety of recordings. Many public libraries have built significant CD collections that are available to the general public.

Currently there are seven major manufacturers producing a significant percentage of the available classical recordings. These manufacturers and the classical labels they issue (including acting as distributor) are:

A&M - Delos, Denon, Nimbus

CBS/Sony

CEMA - EMI Angel, Angel Studio, Pathe Marconi, Reflexe

MCA/UNI - Arts & Electronics

Polygram/PGD - Deutsche Gramophone, Philips, London (Decca), Archiv, L'Oiseau-Lyre, Argo, Mercury; A&M

RCA/BMG - Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Eurodisc, RCA Victor

Warner/WEA - Nonesuch, Erato, Teldec, Finnadar

With the possible exception of MCA, all of these manufacturers have extensive classical music catalogs. In addition, there are currently several hundred domestic and foreign independent manufacturers who market their smaller catalogs through independent distributors or the major manufacturers. Allegro, Qualiton, Harmonia Mundi and Koch International are the four major independent distributors. Several of the independent companies, that specialize in classical only recordings, have built extensive catalogs that rival the major manufacturers (e.g. Chandos, Hyperion, BIS, Capriccio, Harmonia Mundi, Hungaroton, Nimbus, Denon, Supraphon, etc.). Here is a list of the current relationships between the major independent labels and their distributors (distributors may differ outside the U.S., and are subject to change):

Allegro - Ambitus, Arabesque, Arcobaleno, Arion, Ars Produktion, AS Disc, Bluebell, Cala, CBC, Channel Classics, Chanticleer, Chesky, Collins, Conifer, Continuum, Denon, Dorian, Electrecord, Fidelio, Fone, FSM, Gamut, Gasparo, IMP, JVC, Kontrapunkt, Lyrinx, Meridian, Musica Sveciae, Newport Classic, Olympia, Pierre Verany, Priory, Testament, Titanic, Tudor, United Qualiton - Adda, Amon Ra, Bayer, Bis, Hungaroton, Claves, CRD, Dynamic, EBS, Etcetera, Globe, Novalis, Pavane Harmonia Mundi - Accord, Astree, BNL, Caprice, Centaur, Finlandia, French Harmonia Mundi, FY, Hyperion, Le Chant Du Monde, Marco Polo, Opus 111, Records International, Ricercar, Solstice, Valois Koch International - Academy Sound & Vision, Ars Vivendi, Bridge, Calig, Chandos, CPO, Elan, Intercord, Jecklin, Koch International Classics/Koch Schwann, MD&G, Melodiya, Northeastern, Olympia, Opus, Orfeo, Panton, Preiser, Supraphon, Thorophon In addition to the four major distributors given above, Albany, One World, and New World distributors are growing in size.

VI. PUBLICATIONS