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Posted by Anne International Record Review was far and away the best magazine around when it first appeared. Michael Oliver was one of the main writers, a man whose insights were always stimulating, and whose breadth of knowledge was outstanding. In the last 3 or 4 years, though, its quality has drastically declined. What it is now is a pale imitation of what it was. This is an important issue, because in the age of downloads, music will reach the listener without booklets etc. Listeners will all the more need all thoughtful, imaginative writing about music that stimulates them to listen carefully and find out more. They won't get that from suppliers whose job is to sell. In theory, that "might" means a different kind of reviewing, where the purpose is neither to slam nor rave a recording per se but to evaluate it thoughtfully so the reader can think. It's not "what" is said, but how the conclusions were reached. Good teachers know that what they really teach is not a lesson per se but the art of learning. On the other hand, the decline of IRR and the rise of "sound bite culture" may indicate exactly the opposite.
on January 8, 2007, 9:39 pm, in reply to "Re: The Decline of Gramophone"
80.7.0.172
The name Gramophone alas, says it all. The magazine was originally designed for gramophone enthusiasts, as opposed to music enthusiasts. There is a difference ! Music has existed for a lot longer than recording. Gramophone's reviews were geared towards the "boy's toys" market, "hard" issues like recording rather than "soft" issues like sensitive interpretation and musical understanding. That's why they persist in awarding stars for "sound quality", as if that's as important as sensitivity of interpretation or musical signifigance. Gramophone has a lot to answer for, so if its time has passed, it's not altogether to be regretted.
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