BBC Music Magazine

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:30 pm

I got a trial sub to the BBC Music Magazine about 6 months ago, and I am renewing for two years. Going to send the check tomorrow. But I am a tad disappointed with the magazine, and since they included a little customer survey with the solicitation, I wrote this in the comments section:

I am disappointed that neither the liner notes with the CDs nor the magazine has any information, most times, about the performers. The CD of the Beethoven 9th by a Welsh ensemble is an example. The magazine includes the same information about Beethoven and the symphony as the liner notes with about 30 of my other 40 or so recordings of this work. But the orchestra, chorus, conductor, and all of the soloists, except for a picture of the conductor, are all as much of a mystery to me now as they were before I received the magazine.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:19 pm

RebLem wrote:Welsh ensemble

What's the name of this Welsh ensemble, Rob?

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:28 pm

BBC Music Magazine is my favorite. The articles are first-rate and contribute a lot to my musical knowledge. The cover CDs are usually first-quality, often with works not frequently heard.

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:10 pm

Yeah, me too, I like it, Gramophone puts me to sleep...but Fanfare Rules of course...

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:48 pm

Gary wrote:
RebLem wrote:Welsh ensemble
What's the name of this Welsh ensemble, Rob?

That is the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales.

Chalkie wrote:Yeah, me too, I like it, Gramophone puts me to sleep...but Fanfare Rules of course...

Same here. I have subscribed to Fanfare for more than 25 years. In fact, in the BBC Music Mag survey, they asked us to compare their mag with others, but didn't have Fanfare listed. So, I wrote in Fanfare, and said it was better.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:58 am

RebLem wrote:
Gary wrote:
RebLem wrote:Welsh ensemble
What's the name of this Welsh ensemble, Rob?
That is the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales.

Found these:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/now/sites/or ... bout.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/now/sites/or ... tory.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/now/sites/conductors/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/now/sites/ch ... bout.shtml

stenka razin · Post by **stenka razin** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:12 am

BBC Magazine of one of the three best British publications, along with Gramophone and International Record Review.
As fas as the CD limitations, just think of all the other cover mounted CDs for other classical music publications.. Not one of them is collectable. All of BBC's cover discs are full length performances and many are absolutely wonderful. Please give kudos to the remarkable folks at BBC for continuing full works collectable CDs from the BBC mostly for about two decades. I have every one and they are a precious part of my very, very extensive CD collection.
Look, if you want to pick on BBC, then ask them as I have on many occasions, why the CDs have a program booklet, but NO spine insert showing the composers and performers and no perforated attachment for the back cover information. Every
month I have to design and write the spine and back of the CD and provide a blank jewel case. I have written them and they never have responded, sadly.

P.S. I LOVE Fanfare and to a lesser extent, The American Record Guide. I subscribe happily to these two American journals and the three excellent British publicatons above. That's the whole ball game for us. So let's support their wonderful endeavors.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:48 am

stenka razin wrote:BBC Magazine of one of the three best British publications, along with Gramophone and International Record Review.
As fas as the CD limitations, just think of all the other cover mounted CDs for other classical music publications.. Not one of them is collectable. All of BBC's cover discs are full length performances and many are absolutely wonderful. Please give kudos to the remarkable folks at BBC for continuing full works collectable CDs from the BBC mostly for about two decades. I have every one and they are a precious part of my very, very extensive CD collection.
Look, if you want to pick on BBC, then ask them as I have on many occasions, why the CDs have a program booklet, but NO spine insert showing the composers and performers and no perforated attachment for the back cover information. Every
month I have to design and write the spine and back of the CD and provide a blank jewel case. I have written them and they never have responded, sadly.
P.S. I LOVE Fanfare and to a lesser extent, The American Record Guide. I subscribe happily to these two American journals and the three excellent British publicatons above. That's the whole ball game for us. So let's support their wonderful endeavors.

A limited amount of space was provided for the comments. It was full up by the time I wrote what I did. But I agree with you about the spine and the back cover. I don't really mind providing my own jewel case though; they're almost as cheap as dirt. But in many cases, the performers are unfamiliar, as in the Beethoven 9th, which, BTW, is a pretty good performance. But the backgrounds of the soloists and the conductor are as much a mystery to me now as they were before I recieved the mag in the mail. IMO, that simply should not be.

Harold Tucker · Post by **Harold Tucker** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:23 am

Stenka Razin wrote:
"Look, if you want to pick on BBC, then ask them as I have on many occasions, why the CDs have a program booklet, but NO spine insert showing the composers and performers and no perforated attachment for the back cover information. Every
month I have to design and write the spine and back of the CD and provide a blank jewel case. I have written them and they never have responded, sadly."

You can download the spine and back cover for the BBC cd's at their website:
http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/inlays.asp

Imperfect Pitch · Post by **Imperfect Pitch** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:25 am

RebLem wrote:neither the liner notes with the CDs nor the magazine has any information, most times, about the performers

That would bug me too. I like knowing who, when, where.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:15 am

Imperfect Pitch wrote:
RebLem wrote:neither the liner notes with the CDs nor the magazine has any information, most times, about the performers
That would bug me too. I like knowing who, when, where.

I was a subscriber to BBC Music for quite a few years. They don't consistently ignore the performers. I picked up an issue from the newsstand a couple of months ago. This is the one with a couple of French organ symphonies, and there is considerable background on at least the organist as well as the composition.

I did let my subscription lapse some time ago. I find it hard to maintain a continuing interest in any magazine as they become repetitive after a while. And the web tends to make magazines superfluous. My magazine reading time has been supplanted by web research (and forum) time. However, in this recent issue they seemed to be trying some new things so I'll likely start again. The cost is reasonable and I think there's a trial offer sitting in my snail mail Inbox.

I would purchase Gramophone more often if the price was not inflated by the useless cover CD. I concur with everyone's sentiment on the BBC Music CDs.

stenka razin · Post by **stenka razin** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:16 am

Harold Tucker wrote:Stenka Razin wrote:
"Look, if you want to pick on BBC, then ask them as I have on many occasions, why the CDs have a program booklet, but NO spine insert showing the composers and performers and no perforated attachment for the back cover information. Every
month I have to design and write the spine and back of the CD and provide a blank jewel case. I have written them and they never have responded, sadly."

You can download the spine and back cover for the BBC cd's at their website:
http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/inlays.asp

Harold Tucker, I cannot thank you enough. Why BBC magazine never answered my plea and you did is a gift from heaven! No more producing my own spine and back piece, thanks to you. I owe you one. You are the man! Thank you, thank you and thank you.............

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:26 am

I, too, enjoy BBC Music Mag, although its seemingly semi-annual Elgar/Holst/Vaughan-Williams love-in issue seems a bit too Jingoistic for my taste.

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:58 am

stenka razin wrote:P.S. I LOVE Fanfare and to a lesser extent, The American Record Guide. I subscribe happily to these two American journals and the three excellent British publicatons above. That's the whole ball game for us. So let's support their wonderful endeavors.

I have read Fanfare for twenty years and Gramophone for twenty five but there is something I really just don't like about the American Record Guide, I think it's the editor and the fact that his miserable personality is resounded thru the whole mag, just my opinion of course...

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:02 pm

keninottawa wrote:I, too, enjoy BBC Music Mag, although its seemingly semi-annual Elgar/Holst/Vaughan-Williams love-in issue seems a bit too Jingoistic for my taste.

Definitely there's a strong pro-British bias. Same one you find in the Penguin Record Guide. More articles on Glenn Gould are needed!!

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:45 pm

stenka razin wrote:
Harold Tucker wrote:Stenka Razin wrote:
"Look, if you want to pick on BBC, then ask them as I have on many occasions, why the CDs have a program booklet, but NO spine insert showing the composers and performers and no perforated attachment for the back cover information. Every
month I have to design and write the spine and back of the CD and provide a blank jewel case. I have written them and they never have responded, sadly."

You can download the spine and back cover for the BBC cd's at their website:
http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/inlays.asp
Harold Tucker, I cannot thank you enough. Why BBC magazine never answered my plea and you did is a gift from heaven! No more producing my own spine and back piece, thanks to you. I owe you one. You are the man! Thank you, thank you and thank you.............

I second the motion. TYVM. But, for some reason, I can't get my printer to print, lately. It likely has something to do with the way I have my control panel ordered; it doesn't seem to be anything in the printer itself. So, I'm going to have to give that some priority. In the meantime, I suppose I can dowload them and store them in WORD documents.

As for Elgar/Holst/Vaughan Williams--hey, its a Brit Mag, folks. American publications ought to be doing the same thing for American composers, but they don't, by and large. My problem is that it does seem to emphasize those three. How about some Bax, Birtwistle, Bliss, Brian, Bridge, Britten, Butterworth, or a full CD of Byrd, to mention only the B's?

Fugu · Post by **Fugu** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:05 pm

Chalkperson wrote:
stenka razin wrote:P.S. I LOVE Fanfare and to a lesser extent, The American Record Guide. I subscribe happily to these two American journals and the three excellent British publicatons above. That's the whole ball game for us. So let's support their wonderful endeavors.
I have read Fanfare for twenty years and Gramophone for twenty five but there is something I really just don't like about the American Record Guide, I think it's the editor and the fact that his miserable personality is resounded thru the whole mag, just my opinion of course...

Don Vroon. Agree completely.

Guitarist · Post by **Guitarist** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:23 pm

I find BBC trying too hard to appeal to classical novices--it's all too glitzy and cutesy for my taste. Gramophone is not far behind--it's a shame how far they have fallen and now also pander to the lowest common denominator.

Fugu · Post by **Fugu** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:51 pm

Fugue wrote:I find BBC trying too hard to appeal to classical novices--it's all too glitzy and cutesy for my taste. Gramophone is not far behind--it's a shame how far they have fallen and now also pander to the lowest common denominator.

But, oh that free cd! I love it. I still subscribe to it and look forward to it every month.

stenka razin · Post by **stenka razin** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:34 pm

Fugu wrote:
Fugue wrote:I find BBC trying too hard to appeal to classical novices--it's all too glitzy and cutesy for my taste. Gramophone is not far behind--it's a shame how far they have fallen and now also pander to the lowest common denominator.
But, oh that free cd! I love it. I still subscribe to it and look forward to it every month.

Fugu, We agree completely, the BBC CD is a really great bargain, but, the Grampohone CD is only good as a coaster....Gramophone's 30 minute CD interviews do not mean I am keeping those itsy bitsy excerpts, which make up the rest of the disc!

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:37 pm

stenka razin wrote:
Fugu wrote:
Fugue wrote:I find BBC trying too hard to appeal to classical novices--it's all too glitzy and cutesy for my taste. Gramophone is not far behind--it's a shame how far they have fallen and now also pander to the lowest common denominator.
But, oh that free cd! I love it. I still subscribe to it and look forward to it every month.
Fugu, We agree completely, the BBC CD is a really great bargain, but, the Grampohone CD is only good as a coaster....Gramophone's 30 minute CD interviews do not mean I am keeping those itsy bitsy excerpts, which make up the rest of the disc!

I throw the Gramophone ones in the bin then read the new issue, takes about fifteen minutes to read, shame on them, it used to be a really good magazine...

stenka razin · Post by **stenka razin** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:44 pm

Chalkperson wrote:
stenka razin wrote:
Fugu wrote:
Fugue wrote:I find BBC trying too hard to appeal to classical novices--it's all too glitzy and cutesy for my taste. Gramophone is not far behind--it's a shame how far they have fallen and now also pander to the lowest common denominator.
But, oh that free cd! I love it. I still subscribe to it and look forward to it every month.
Fugu, We agree completely, the BBC CD is a really great bargain, but, the Grampohone CD is only good as a coaster....Gramophone's 30 minute CD interviews do not mean I am keeping those itsy bitsy excerpts, which make up the rest of the disc!
I throw the Gramophone ones in the bin then read the new issue, takes about fifteen minutes to read, shame on them, it used to be a really good magazine...

chalkie, I agree with you. Gramophone used to be rivers of wonderful print and the reviews were very meaty and very fulfilling. Today's Gramophone is a pale imitation, but, at least it is classical and we really don't have too many other mags, to choose from my friend, sadly.

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:59 pm

stenka razin wrote:chalkie, I agree with you. Gramophone used to be rivers of wonderful print and the reviews were very meaty and very fulfilling. Today's Gramophone is a pale imitation, but, at least it is classical and we really don't have too many other mags, to choose from my friend, sadly.

No, I know the field is limited, but the phrase 'Look how the Mighty have Fallen' comes to mind...

Auntie Lynn · Post by **Auntie Lynn** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:48 am

Actually, the BBC act to hit is that "morning commute" classical music program which is absolutely hilarious...it's one after another. That's the one where they make fun of the ads. And just about everything else.

See, you can listen to the radio and watch Marc Adams' The Fashion Channel at the same time. Life is Beautiful...

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:19 pm

I just re-subscribed. They had sent me a one year reduced rate offer - under $6 an issue. I remember the other reason I let my subscription lapse was: missed issues, issues out of sequence, and broken CD cases. Hope things go better this time.

alpsman · Post by **alpsman** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:55 pm

I was reader of Gramophone for 23 years,but stop buying 6 months ago. In this world of internet it has very little to offer. Now we have informations about new products, and this was Gramophone's major interest for me. The reviews inform me very little, as i had an opinion on the disks i am interested.
BBC music is may be worse. The cover cd in some cases is a nice supplement of great recordings.

The two american reviews-Fanfare and ARG-are better. Not high gloss, but more books and with plenty informations and insight reviews.
I am going to disagree with some negative comments about Don Vroon. I dont't know at all the person, but i read his editorials and find them espesially interesting. Maybe he is somehow rigid and dogmatic in his thoughts, but at least he has some provocative ideas and makes one think. His is not an American style of thinking but more central European.

Post by **Lance** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:52 pm

Greetings, and welcome aboard, Alpsman! We hope you enjoy your visits with us!

alpsman wrote:I was reader of Gramophone for 23 years,but stop buying 6 months ago. In this world of internet it has very little to offer. Now we have informations about new products, and this was Gramophone's major interest for me. The reviews inform me very little, as i had an opinion on the disks i am interested.
BBC music is may be worse. The cover cd in some cases is a nice supplement of great recordings.

The two american reviews-Fanfare and ARG-are better. Not high gloss, but more books and with plenty informations and insight reviews.
I am going to disagree with some negative comments about Don Vroon. I dont't know at all the person, but i read his editorials and find them espesially interesting. Maybe he is somehow rigid and dogmatic in his thoughts, but at least he has some provocative ideas and makes one think. His is not an American style of thinking but more central European.

Burbage · Post by **Burbage** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:11 pm

stenka razin wrote:BBC Magazine of one of the three best British publications, along with Gramophone and International Record Review...

More's the pity. I stopped reading Gramophone before they started gluing disks to the front, when the BBC launched a 'Radio 3' magazine; Radio 3 being then, as now, the BBC's station devoted to classical music and the less visual of the higher arts.

The magazine had several advantages. It could roll up to fit a pocket and it didn't contain more than its own weight of pointlessness. A happy feature was a pull-out libretto of an opera to be broadcast, usually live, later in the month. It was well-written, provocative, heavy on music but very light on the frothy gushiness of the rehashed press releases that form the bulk of the current offerings. But the reason I liked it most was that it acted as a companion and guide to music I could access, whether or not I had money for recordings, concerts or fancy equipment.

Unfortunately the magazine died shortly after its first birthday, possibly owing to poor distribution (a hunch based on having never knowingly met anyone who remembers it), and I was sad. I doubt we'll see its like again.

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:39 am

alpsman wrote:The two american reviews-Fanfare and ARG-are better. Not high gloss, but more books and with plenty informations and insight reviews.
I am going to disagree with some negative comments about Don Vroon. I dont't know at all the person, but i read his editorials and find them espesially interesting. Maybe he is somehow rigid and dogmatic in his thoughts, but at least he has some provocative ideas and makes one think. His is not an American style of thinking but more central European.

I've subscribed to ARG for close to 20 years. I like reading Vroon. He's a passionate, traditional values guy. He's also passionate about music and recordings. I also like theri overviews, as you'll find a lot of comments about recordings that are outside the current party line.

Writing standards of critics have slipped everywhere and it's difficult to replace older critics as they move on. Some younger critics lack breadth when talking about recordings (you wouldn't have said that about a number of critics from both sides of the pond 25 years ago), but it takes a long time to build up that kind of knowledge.

John

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