Starting a classical library is BMG an answer?

i'm no pal to bmg but columbia house mostly carries an original versions of cds while bmg has only remanufactures i.e. typically cd-rom quality of pressing and recording if not worse. i realy try to avoid used cds with message "manufactured for bmg under licence..." since the quality is very different from the original version indeed.

FYI, Columbia House no longer carries classical music-- they've foisted all the classical memberships over to the Musical Heritage Society. BMG is a wonderful way to go. Naxos does offer some fine recordings at budget prices, but you have to be very careful-- the quality of performance and recording have improved greatly in recent years, but it's still deeply uneven, particularly for core repertoire, for which you''re almost always advised to stay with the major labels represented on BMG. For more out of the way stuff-- modern American, unusual chamber music, and particularly any and all of their guitar recordings-- Naxos can be terrific. Their piano recordings of the complete Mendelssohn, Messiaen, and Granados (with the exception of the "Goyescas") are competitive with the best.

The above is not true. The quality of the BMG pressings is not going to be different than the quality of an average mass-produced CD. The quality of individual plants can vary, but that's the case with all CDs and labels...not just the music clubs.

Don't worry about the manufacturing quality--that's a non-issue. If you can stand all the mailings, a mail-order club is a great way to get your feet wet. (I started my classical record collection with Musical Heritage Society 20-odd years ago.)

As for the quality of Naxos, there are bad performances on every label, and until you've really gotten into classical music, you're liable to pick up some dogs no matter how much you spend. So what? That's part of the learning curve. The great thing about Naxos is, it doesn't cost you much to experiment. And experimenting is exactly what you should be doing right now. Buy 'em by the fistful!

BMG is well worth belonging to because of the wide selection of classical music and the low prices; they are always offering sales and monthly specials that make their prices unbeatable. The story about their CDs being inferior to those bought in a store is absolutely false--an audiophile myth; their CDs are idential to the same title bought in a store, just cheaper. Their marketing is pretty aggressive but you can choose email only or postal mail only. On balance they are a very cost-effective way to built a classical music collection.

As for Naxos, I'm a fan and have and enjoy many Naxos CDs. Naxos has become the most ambitious and adventurous force in recorded classical music in recent years. Their catalog is extensive and is not free from some dogs. A good way to go with them, I believe, is to get a copy of their catalog, which identifies all their CDs that have received positive reviews. Some have received considerable acclaim. If you buy the CDs that have received several positive reviews, it's hard to go wrong; this makes it relatively easy to spot the Naxos CDs that are really outstanding. It's worked for me. (If you are an audiophile, I could give you a short list of Naxos orchestral CDs I have that have demonstration-quality sound if you're interested.) Good luck and happy listening.