James Jolly

Is this the best of all possible guides? Possibly yes, possibly no.

At a tightly filled 1436 pages, the 2012 Gramophone Classical Music Guide has a lot to offer. From the sublime to the obscure, well-written reviews capture the best available CD and DVD recordings of the great vocal, orchestral, chamber, instrumental, and operatic works available to those of us lucky enough to live in the 21st century. Gramophone's mission statement is to assign reviews to people who know a great deal about the subject, so we don't have jacks-of-all-trades jumping from Handel operas to Schoenberg chamber pieces. As a result, the reviews have an authoritative and knowing feel, while rarely seeming pretentious or exclusive. Because the guide is designed to present the best available recordings, it's also a wonderfully positive book. (Even the lowest ranking, "no disc", simply means a good recording with some reservations.)

Each review gives informative information on performers, running times, supplementary materials, opus numbers, and - where known - availability for legal downloading. Each composer is given a neat little biography, and the guide is supplemented by reviews of collections and compilations. In the introduction, a condensed but useful history of classical music is given, as well as a basic library for beginners or amateurs.

What makes the Gramophone guide so useful is its dual function. For experts or long-time collectors, it provides a reasonably comprehensive array of works, allowing you to fill in gaps in your collection, perhaps find alternative approaches to favourite recordings, all without ever feeling like an "Idiot's Guide". However, for beginners or passionate amateurs, it is a helpful starting point too. There are so many composers I'm unaware of, or of whom I only know certain works. (For a lot of modern composers like Adams or Ades, I'm familiar with their operas, but little else, for instance.) And even for the greats - your Mozarts, Handels, and Wagners - it's highly useful to have the listings, allowing me to re-approach the daunting repertoire they have left behind.

Individuals will of course see notable omissions (my beloved Emanuelle Haim recording of "Dido and Aeneas" is nowhere to be found), and there is always a danger of bias when asking such well-read critics to introduce people to their preferred composers. Yet, I can see few reasons to dislike this guide. The approach allows composers as diverse as Berg, Monteverdi, and Debussy to be treated with equal reverence. It strives to present important details for ease of searching for albums (particularly as many classical music websites are lacking in such detail, we need all the help we can get to distinguish recordings when buying online!). And the reviews avoid the kind of musical or plot analysis one can find online, in favour of presenting basic guidelines for listening and appreciating, with very limited amounts of pretension. (Besides, even if my favourite "Dido" isn't listed, it's a joyful challenge to see half a dozen other alternatives for me to explore!)

(I'm not familiar with the no-longer-updated Penguin Guide, however a cursory glance online suggests it contains more reviews per composer, with a total page length comparable to this one. I'll have to check it out.)

Finally, the guide approaches criticism from my favourite direction: semi-insiders with a passion for the subject. From the introduction, which acknowledges the near-impossibility of a perfect studio recording, you get the sense that these are critics not striving for some fantasy of "perfection". What the Gramophone critics are after is an elusive mix of ambition, dedication, talent, and beauty. A worthy addition to any music-lover's bookshelf. I know that I will be browsing this guide for a long time to come, as I expand my knowledge and love of the endless, untold glories of the classical canon.… (mehr)