cbf@allegra.UUCP (Charles B. Francois) (01/05/84)
For those newcomers to the classics who may be wondering which works are
the most established in the traditional classical repertoire, one thing
which could help is Stereo Review's "The Basic Repertoire", a small pamphlet
written and updated yearly by Richard Freed, one of the magazine's regular
record reviewers. William Livingstone, the magazine's editor, states in
his introduction to the booklet:
The inclusion of a work in the Basic Repertoire list is governed by
a number of factors, principal among them being the popularity of the
work in "live" performance (as demonstrated by the frequency with
which it is programmed by leading orchestras) and its popularity in
recorded performances (as indicated by the number of entries it has
in the Schwann catalog). In the pages that follow, Mr. Freed reviews
the whole of the Basic Repertoire, giving his recommendations among
available recordings, including discs and tapes [including budget and
open-reel issues] released since last year's re-evaluation.
The list concerns itself with the basic *orchestral* warhorses. The few
exceptions include Handel's "Messiah" and Orff's "Carmina Burana". This
means that the most significant works of composers such as Bach, Schubert,
Chopin and Verdi who dedicated the bulk of their output to non-orchestral
forms, are being bypassed. [Pick your favorite left-field composer, and
he's bound to be absent. This also means you won't find anything that
could be described by a French word (like avant-garde).] Within those
constraints, however, the guide is extremely useful, not least for Richard
Freed's thoughtful suggestions of good recordings. I often question his
choices -- he's human and has his own biases -- but I never dismiss his
opinions. [Of course, many of the recordings being pushed are from the
"money-crazed major labels", featuring the "pre-packaged stars" whom the
"idiotic public" seems to crave most. Lowest common denominator is what
we're talking about here.] A very interesting tool for both novices and
(not yet cynical) old hands.
As an extra, the editor has checked off ten "where to begin" works which,
"are in his estimation so seductive, so immediately gratifying, that they
will fuel your enthusiasm for the classics for a lifetime." Those are
Barber's "Adagio for Strings", Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto and 5th
Symphony, Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto,
Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" and 40th Symphony, Rachmaninoff's
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Tchaikovsky's "Francesca da Rimini",
and Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons". A couple of odd choices, but none
really questionable.
Currently, part of the contents of this list are published in Stereo Review
as a continuing feature. To get the most recent (1982. 1983 will be out in
a short while) version of the whole pamphlet send $1 (check or money order)
and a stamped (40 cents) self-addressed regular business envelope to:
Basic Repertoire
P.O. Box 506
Murray Hill Station
New York, NY 10156
--
"Yes, but is it art?"
Charles B. Francois (decvax!allegra!cbf)