Wealth of recordings

Press, 3 August 1985, Page 20

Wealth of recordings

The Complete Penguin Stereo, Record and Cassette Guide. By Edward Greenfield, Robert Layton, and Ivan March. Penguin, 1984. 1387 pp. $21.95 (paperback). (Reviewed by J. A. Ritchie) More than 5000 separate recordings are reviewed in this new edition and, since compact discs are also covered, it is a volume that can lay claim to being a comprehensive survey of recorded music, outside the pop field, since the demise of the “78.” Its three contributors have convincing pedigrees, only Greenfield appearing to have no professional expertise in music itself, although he is well-known as a music critic on the “Guardian” in London.

An enormous amount of descriptive and critical information about most of the better-known composers and compositions is provided. The print used is fine so that, considering that a quarter of a page on average is devoted to each record, the 69 pages on Beethoven, the 51 on Bach, and 15 each on Ravel and Vaughan Williams, may be expected to provide solid substance. Brahms and Tchaikovsky get 35 each, Mozart, 70!

Each record is given a rating and in many cases, in addition to a critical assessment of performance and recording, well considered comments on the music itself and the composer are provided. Rosettes are awarded for “special illumination, a magic, or spiritual quality;” these are in addition to the one, two and three-star ratings. One gains an over-all impression that

things have to be pretty bad to rate lower than two-star. While one may bemoan the competitive implications of a system more redolent of the meat and wool industry, one can appreciate international performers taking it all quite seriously. Surprising to the browser is the. availability of Hoist’s suite, “The Planets,” in 17 different recorded performances — more than any one of the Beethoven symphonies. Interestingly, “The Planets” was the first work to receive three different compact disc issues. Market forces are at work, no doubt. Another surprise is the intriguing entry of “Tea for Two,” arranged by none other than Dimitri Shostakovich. The jargon of the record buff and the occasional aroma of condescension will produce smiles. Writes one commentator: “The melodies generally are not as memorable as they might be,” an eminently forgettable assertion. But one must expect not to agree with everything in 1300 pages. In fact, moments of contention provide spice for the reader and lend some character to the relatively anonymous authorship which a triumvirate of contributors engenders. In addition to the Composer Index which takes up the bulk of the book, there are sections devoted to Collections and to various types of recital. Some introductory comments include a four-page reappraisal of the cassette and the compact disc. Clearly the latter is considered the recording means of the near future.