Which are the best Classical Music magazines?

[Guest]

I am interested in looking at some classical music magazines but am unsure which ones to get. I have bought the BBC Music Magazine and enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if there are any others or if they are any good.

Thanks!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The BBC Music Magazine is a good all-round choice. For greater depth, you might try Classical Music

[Bryn]

It's decades since I had a subscription to it (when it was still monthly), but I always found Musical Times (now a quarterly) a good read.

[salymap]

When did 'Music and Musicians', one of a stable of magazines, cease to appear? I remember it starting in the 1950s, I used to advertise in it for Augener but believe it closed after a few years..

Musical Times was a good read for the serious musician/music lover. Wasn't it the Novello publication?

[Bryn]

Wasn't it the Novello publication?

Indeed it was. This I have confirmed by checking the rear cover of the June 1969 125th Anniversary edition, which I keep close at hand, (it carried Cornelius Cardew's "A Scratch Orchestra: draft constitution", immediately preceded by a piece on of Havergal Brian's Violin Concerto by Eve Barsham.

[johnb]

Quite a few people on this forum have praised International Record Review very highly.

[Bryn]

Quite a few people on this forum have praised International Record Review very highly.

And not only those who write for it, either.

[Ariosto]

The Strad mag ...

[Chris Newman]

Hi salymap,
The British magazines Music and Musicians, Plays and Players etc disappeared years ago. I recall they were similar to the BBC magazines of today. I cannot find them mentioned on Google, though I remember buying M&M in the 60s and 70s. I think it was in Michael Heseltine's stable. There are a few from the early 1950s on sale on eBay. I may be wrong but I think they got swallowed up by Rhinegold Publications and disappeared with the success of their own magazines Classical Music etc. An American magazine named Music and Musicians started in 2010 but seems to be rather different music to the old British magazine.

[salymap]

thanks Chris, I remember the rep coming in with a proof of the first M&M. Sargent was to be the first cover, either bright blue or black and white. The rep asked what we thought. Definitely black and white.

My boss took half a large page, I had the job of filling it with a meaningful ad. Quite fun when I got used to it. I had about 6 mags a month to do, happy [ish] days.

[Pianorak]

International Piano...

[Auferstehen2]

"Records and Recording" surely?

I still have around fifty of them, and they still make fascinating reading!

Mario

[barber olly]

I don't rate either very highly in terms of depth of content but BBC Music Magazine, and increasingly Classic FM are worth their value for the cover CD, if the music is to your taste. Having up to last year been a subscriber to BBC MM I now just buy the issues that appeal.

[Three]

Thanks for the suggestions! :)

[MarkG]

The BBC is selling off its magazines, including, presumably, BBC MM.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/16/bbc-completes-magazines-sell-off

I wonder what the long-term future is for printed music magazines? In tough times could Gramophone be swallowed up by Classic FM mag, particularly as they are both owned by Haymarket?