Classical Compact Disc Review Sources on the Web
In recent years, many critics have lamented the decline in coverage of classical music in the mainstream press (see, for example, James M. Keller, "Endangered Species: Are Informed Music Critics a Dying Breed?" Opera News 63, no. 1 (July 1998): 8–10). Perhaps in response to this trend, coverage of classical music on the Internet has grown markedly. Some critics who are active in print media also maintain a blog, such as the New Yorker's Alex Ross (http://www.therestisnoise.com). Reviews of recordings are also increasingly available on the Web. Some of them provide an online presence for a print resource, others are independent, though sometimes allied with similar sites in other countries, while still others reflect primarily the more specialized interests of their authors. The following review evaluates several Web sites from these categories for content, ease of searching, and usefulness to librarians. It should be emphasized that most of them include resources beyond reviews: feature articles on various topics, news items, editorials, and so forth. The focus here, however, will be on the reviews. All of these sites are accessible free of charge, although the first two do require registration.
Gramofile is the online database of the magazine Gramophone, one of the oldest and most respected sources for reviews, and claims to offer access to over 30,000 reviews. Approximately 100 reviews are added each month. After registration, Gramofile is available by logging in with e-mail address and password. Searching is possible by Composer, Recording Name/Title Of Work, Artist, Group, Conductor, Company/ Label, Keyword, and Format (limited to CD and DVD), or any combination thereof; to find a specific recording, search boxes are also provided for Catalogue Number and Barcode. On the help page, users are advised that Boolean operators do not work with this search engine. Despite this drawback, the number of searching options generally produces satisfactory results.
Each review gives full details of the works and performers on the recording, the reviewer's name, and the month and year when it originally appeared in the magazine. Recordings that have now been deleted are helpfully identified as such in the results list. Although no time frame is provided for the Web site, it appears to encompass most of the compact disc era: the earliest review I could find, a recording by Gothic Voices and Christopher Page of works by Machaut (Hyperion CDA 66087), is dated January 1984. The most recent reviews were from May 2007, approximately a month behind the time of writing. But some reviews from April 2007 had not yet been added: a collection of orchestral works by Carl Nielsen performed by Thomas Dausgaard and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Dacapo 6220518), featured as the "Disc of the Month," was not yet available in the database. The fact that reviews have been taken out of their original context results in occasional confusion for the reader. In his review [End Page 338] of a recording of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg from August 1994, Alan Blyth refers to a list of other recordings that was presumably attached to the review in print, but is lacking in the Web version.
Gramophone's reputation for providing knowledgeable reviews by prominent critics and scholars is well deserved. The consistently high quality of writing and the availability of more than twenty years of reviews ensure that librarians will want to consult Gramofile frequently.
Like Gramophone, the periodical BBC Music Magazine maintains a Web site that includes access to reviews. Registration is accomplished by submitting an e-mail address. Because BBC Music Magazine began publication in 1992, its online archives are obviously less extensive than Gramofile. Other limitations are apparent as well...
