Many thanks to Abex for setting the record straight and definitively laying to rest the audiophile myth that BMG CDs are sonically inferior to, or sonically different from, the same titles bought in stores. This isn't a matter of opinion; it's a matter of fact. There are still some loony, neurotic, obsessional audiophiles who want to believe this nonsense; they are the guys who have such incredibly sensitive ears that they can hear what isn't there. Those of us with common sense will do well to ignore them and enjoy the lower prices offered by BMG. It ought to be noted that in the heyday of the LP there really were significant differences in different pressings of the same title, depending on the master used, the pressing plant used, the quality and purity of the vinyl, how near the beginning or end of a pressing run a given LP emerged, etc. One notorious, well-documented case was Angel classical LPs in the USA, which remastered European EMI originals for American pressings and were consistently inferior. You have to wonder if the genuine differences of those days have given rise to the myth about the inferiority of BMG CDs. Anyway, this myth has been around for many years, and like many myths it dies hard.
Another good website and source for classical CDs is H&B Recordings Direct at www.hbdirect.com. I've bought a good many CDs from them over the years and never had a problem. They have CDs on sale by label monthly, and they put out a substantial monthly publication that comes by postal mail and describes the month's new releases and the labels on sale that month. Like Arkiv.com they seem to deal only in classical music. Their website and monthly magazine give snippets from various classical CD reviews. Worth checking out.
Here are some books that will be of use to anyone getting started in, or well along the way in, building a classical CD collection, in terms of guidance to recommended versions:
1. The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs. A large, very thick paperback of about 1600 pages. Multiple contributors. Recommends recordings of just about all classical music and opera. My only quibble is that some of the brief reviews are too wishy-washy and some think this British publication tends to show a certain degree of chauvinism toward British performers and recordings.
2. The Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide. Multiple contributors. Another large, very thick paperback of about 1350 pages that recommends recordings of just about all classical music and opera. Again, some think this British publication favors British performers and recordings. There is a separate smaller publication, The Gramophoine Opera Good CD Guide, about 550 pages, although the bigger book does include opera.
3. Classical Music: The Rough Guide. Another large, thick paperback of around 500 pages of recommended recordings, with brief essays about each composer and his works. This too is British in origin.
4. The Record Shelf Guide to Classical CDs, Jim Svejda. Another large, fat paperback of about 900 pages. This is an American publication and is entirely the work of the author.
Any or all of these can be helpful in steering you to good versions of classical works and helping you to avoid wasting money on the dogs. I have a large classical CD collection I've been building for almost 20 years, and I make use of all of these books from time to time. But of course what they are all offering is opinion, and as you gain expertise in classical music and recordings, you will begin to form your own opinions as to which labels, performers, orchestras and conductors, etc. you prefer. Good luck and happy listening.
