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)