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Posted by John Quinn
on August 24, 2008, 4:56 pm
90.203.36.146
I read Michael Cookson's excellent review of this disc (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Aug08/Dark_Pastoral_alt1035.htm) with particular interest because I bought the CD myself a few weeks ago and, like Michael, found it fascinating. I agree with many of the points that Michael makes in his review and with one point in particular.
Michael draws attention, very rightly, to the "minute print" in the booklet. Though I've come across small type in all too many booklets in recent years this one takes the biscuit as far as I'm concerned. The typeface used is ludicrously small and I found on several occasions that my eyes were straining to such a point that I just gave up trying to read the notes or poem texts. This is especially unfortunate since many of the texts sung or read on this CD will be unfamiliar to many listeners -and Michael's quite right about diction. Furthermore, what on earth is the point of Kate Kennedy contributing a detailed essay about the whole project if it's too hard to read?
It may be that a small typeface was used in order to fit everything into a booklet of 34 pages. It that's so then perhaps extra space for text could have been found by dispensing with a few of the artist photographs in the booklet? There are no less than nine in the booklet which is, perhaps, just a bit excessive.
This is a serious point, I think. I've worn spectacles for over 40 years and my eyesight isn't getting any stronger. I'm sure there must be countless other collectors who find it hard to read small print and it's not good enough to have to resort to a magnifying glass, as Michael Cookson did in this instance. The booklet is a key part of the presentation, especially with full price releases, and it's high time that the industry got to grips with this and showed some consideration towards those of us who don't have 20/20 vision.
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