Gramophone

[Don Petter]

<< But, MickyD, surely be good to have an in depth interview with an artist, or other such subjects?
>>

Yes, that's true, BBM - such things are rather lacking in IRR.

Not interviews, but there are very interesting articles in the January IRR about the Scottish composer Erik Chisholm and Vagn Holmboe's String Quartets.

[Mahlerei]

I haven't read Gramophone for a number of years now but it was indispensable when I first starting listening to classical music about 35 years ago. Nowadays I'm happy to read comments/recommendations on MBs like this one and other online review sites. I've made some terrific discoveries along the way and, in many ways, the journey has become a lot more interesting. Does that sound odd?

[VodkaDilc]

Today's Guardian offers a free Gramophone magazine for every reader. Good marketing ploy or desperation?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Today's Guardian offers a free Gramophone magazine for every reader. Good marketing ploy or desperation?

Whatever our views on the current state of Gramophone, it must be a good thing for a major quality newspaper to be giving away a classical music magazine.

[Panjandrum]

Today's Guardian offers a free Gramophone magazine for every reader. Good marketing ploy or desperation?

By whom? Gramophone or The Grauniad?

[MickyD]

Today's Guardian offers a free Gramophone magazine for every reader. Good marketing ploy or desperation?

Well, I'd certainly conclude that it smacks of desperation, VodkaDilc - it must have cost them a fortune. It makes me want to know even more just how many subscribers have cancelled over the last year.

[Panjandrum]

Well, I'd certainly conclude that it smacks of desperation, VodkaDilc - it must have cost them a fortune. It makes me want to know even more just how many subscribers have cancelled over the last year.

It makes you wonder doesn't it? If they had listened to the likes of us, both here, on the old messageboard (I recall the likes of Martin Cullingford posting there), and on their own forum, they might have saved themselves a lot of goodwill, and a lot of money.

[MickyD]

I quite agree, Panjandrum. Even just recently, readers on their own forum have been putting forward reasonable objections to the dropping of the CD etc. but answer comes there none except for this persistent message for us all to get with the new technology. It is patently obvious that many readers do not wish to or are able to do so. I have been really astonished at the cavalier treatment of loyal subscribers' views and if the magazine does crash, the fault will be entirely due to the attitude of the editorial team.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I wonder whether Gramophone has accumulated so many unsold copies, it doesn't know what to do with them?

[Lion-of-Vienna]

I haven't read the latest edition of Gramophone yet but it has two wonderful full page photographs, one of Liszt and one of Holst - almost fit for framing.

[Mahlerei]

It's interesting that readers are proving so resistant to new technology, which I take to mean downloads. I can't remember if there was similar hostility to CDs back in 1983. Can anyone remember?

Also interesting is the fact that Andrew Davis's new Holst recording for Chandos is already available as a download but the disc isn't scheduled for release in the UK until 29th January. A sign of things to come?

[MickyD]

It's interesting that readers are proving so resistant to new technology, which I take to mean downloads. I can't remember if there was similar hostility to CDs back in 1983. Can anyone remember?

Also interesting is the fact that Andrew Davis's new Holst recording for Chandos is already available as a download but the disc isn't scheduled for release in the UK until 29th January. A sign of things to come?

Yes, Mahlerei, it is mainly about downloads - or in this case, just streaming, because it would appear that you are not even allowed to download the extracts, meaning that you have to be at your computer to listen to them within a couple of months before they disappear altogether. It may be more hi-tech, but it is certainly not what I would call progress!

Also take a look at the thread about "gapless" downloads on the Gramophone Forum. There are so many disgruntled listeners complaining about the poor service offered from downloads - Chandos particularly coming in for criticism. The various complicated solutions to get round the problems make my head ache and I I am certain that I shall be sticking to trusty old CDs for a long time to come!

[mangerton]

I have invested a great deal of money on equipment to play music from CDs and from other sources.

I really have no desire to sit at my desk top computer and listen to a highly compressed down load on my two inch computer loudspeakers. They're fine for what I'd term computer use, and listening again to talk programmes on the i-player, but they're hopeless for serious listening. Lap top computers are of course even smaller and less suitable for music.

I suggest that this too could be a reason why downloads are so unpopular.

[Mahlerei]

MickyD, Mangerton

Good points. Playing devil's advocate here, it is no longer necessary to listen to downloads at your computer. Arcam for instance have a new DAC with a wireless dongle that allows you to stream the music from your Mac/PM to your hifi. The gapless issue doesn't seem to arise with high-res files (flacs) where each track is downloaded separately.

I have been very sceptical of downloads and, at the moment, would prefer the physical product with booklet and case. However, I am complementing my CD collection with high-res downloads, stored on a separate hard drive or burned to DVD. It is a hassle and an extra expense, I admit, but it does seem that more and more labels are adopting that option, as well as offering the physical CDs. In that sense Gramophone is only reflecting change, not instigating it.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

MickyD, Mangerton
In that sense Gramophone is only reflecting change, not instigating it.

Except that I imagine far more Gramophone readers would prefer a CD to the faff of downloading.