# 0_0 Proof that the world is ending.



## Azathoth (Feb 28, 2007)

I got some money in advance today and decided to get some music. I was going to get some Beethoven, but the calling of my Baroque fetish proved too strong. In addition to getting two Glenn Gould recordings for eight bucks each, I realized what it was that seemed so wrong, and yet so right.

_The classical music section had *expanded.*_

This just doesn't happen. Furthermore, there were _two_ people there with a good knowledge of classical music. As in, employees devoted solely to the classical music section. I was there with my boyfriend, who was looking for some opera, and the guy they had working there knew _each Faust._ Sorry about the excessive italics, but I think this merits it.

Is this the calm before the storm? Is God going to smite us all now that He has granted us this one gift of true goodness?

They'd gotten rid of most of their Broadway musicals and replaced it with more classical. Opera was expanded, they had a lot more composers and some stuff like theremin music.

Previously it had been one small room, shelves on each wall and a center unit. It now takes up about 1/5 of the top floor. At Virgin, classical music gets two shelves. And I'm talking about the Virgin Megastore in Times Square.

My mind has been blown.

Is this a solitary phenomenon?

(I got the French Suites and Italian Concertos. My Bach collection is beginning to resemble something of an actual collection.)


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## robert newman (Oct 4, 2006)

Sounds really nice. Have you heard any music by a contemporary of JS Bach named Jan Dismas ZELENKA ? It's awesome Baroque music. The Mass in A Minor for example.

Bach is said to have greatly respected Zelenka. It's easy to see why. I highly recommend that you hear him.

There's also a great Zelenka website -

http://www.jdzelenka.net/

Regards


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## Leporello87 (Mar 25, 2007)

Azathoth said:


> Is this a solitary phenomenon?


Here in SF, there was one full branch of Tower Records (i.e. one whole building) dedicated to just classical music, so there was some pretty nice selection. Tower Records has closed in though, and the classical music store with it


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Congrats on your latest additions.  Here, the best place that I know of is a bookstore chain.


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2007)

Leporello87 said:


> Here in SF, there was one full branch of Tower Records (i.e. one whole building) dedicated to just classical music, so there was some pretty nice selection. Tower Records has closed in though, and the classical music store with it


May I make a comment here. For any UK posters, one of the best "record stores" is BBC Radio 3. From 7-12 am each day they play a wide cross section of high quality recorded classical music, and provide just enough commentary to make it interesting. I wouldn't miss it if I'm in. It's transmitted at 192 kbps on digital, which is more than adequate quality.

They also have a "composer of the week", and this week it has been Elgar, which has been excellent. With respect, I've learned far more in just one of these transmissions, as most of the comment I've seen here, on various threads relating to Elgar, is pretty superficial.


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## Leporello87 (Mar 25, 2007)

Good point, Mango. I do listen to quite a bit of streaming classical radio (at least for instances if there's a recording or piece I don't have in mp3 form), so obviously it's great there are sources for classical music other than stores. There's also a surprisingly good collection offered for download via the iTunes stores. 

I actually purchase very little music from stores, but I just find it very relaxing to browse through the collections, and it's different to physically pick up something and look at it. I think it's the browsing part I miss the most about the store that shut its doors recently.


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## Rod Corkin (Jun 1, 2007)

Leporello87 said:


> Good point, Mango. I do listen to quite a bit of streaming classical radio (at least for instances if there's a recording or piece I don't have in mp3 form), so obviously it's great there are sources for classical music other than stores. There's also a surprisingly good collection offered for download via the iTunes stores.
> 
> I actually purchase very little music from stores, but I just find it very relaxing to browse through the collections, and it's different to physically pick up something and look at it. I think it's the browsing part I miss the most about the store that shut its doors recently.


Call me old fashioned buy I prefer browsing though the shelves in music stores, even though I have a over 10,000 classical tracks on my mp3 player. In London the best classical dept is to be found at HMV in Oxford St between Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus tube stations. This is huge and caters for the most specialist tastes. The HMV futher down the road at Bond Street is also very good, and convienient if you like to visit the Handel House museum nearby! The classical dept of Virgin Megastore in Oxford Street is big too but not as comprehensive as what HMV offers. Tower's London showpiece has been taken over by Virgin in Piccadilli Circus, the classical dept there is big but again not quite in the HMV league.


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

For me, the option of first resort in New York City was the HMV shop... until it shut down Have to make another run up there soon, to see what Virgin looks like on this go-round. We all like the idea of an expanded Classical section-- but I don't think Mrs. Philly will be happy that the space was made from trimming the Broadway musicals section. Have any Gothamites sampled Academy Records? It seemed interesting when I passed through on my last visit... but I didn't buy anything at that time. I guess I should start doing so- if I want to aid in helping it stick around.


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## Guest (Jun 16, 2007)

Leporello87 said:


> Good point, Mango. I do listen to quite a bit of streaming classical radio (at least for instances if there's a recording or piece I don't have in mp3 form), so obviously it's great there are sources for classical music other than stores. There's also a surprisingly good collection offered for download via the iTunes stores.
> 
> I actually purchase very little music from stores, but I just find it very relaxing to browse through the collections, and it's different to physically pick up something and look at it. I think it's the browsing part I miss the most about the store that shut its doors recently.


The problem with iTunes (although I stand to be corrected) is that it's only available at 128 kbps, which I find is borderline hi-fi. The Radio 3 programmes, to which I referred, transmit over the UK airwaves at 192 kbps which is obviously better. There is, separately, a streaming version over the internet but that's only about 64 kbps.

The UK's commercial UK classical radio station, Classical FM, is, in my view, so badly biased towards the pop end of the classical market, and is so full of tedious adverts, that it's not worth listening to. The Radio 3 broadcasts, by contrast, are well-balanced in terms of coverage, and the presenters know what they are talking about. They usually give a neat summary of each piece's history, and point out particular aspects worth listening for. I have nothing but admiration for the BBC's programming of classical music. The "Proms" are coming up quite soon and I will be even more glued to Radio 3.

I rarely buy CDs any more. I think that once you have about 300 CDs - and assuming they are bought wisely - that's enough for most people. What I did with mine was to rip the whole lot and place everything strictly in composer listings on a PC in MP3. Over the past few years I've been adding missing important pieces from various download sources. Since I'm a bit of "completist", I aimed to get all Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms. I'm nearly there. I have a decent collection of several other composers too. In fact I'm pretty sure I have literally everything from 1720-1900 that's generally considered good, based on a number of internet searches (music Forums etc).


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## Handel (Apr 18, 2007)

Rod Corkin said:


> Call me old fashioned buy I prefer browsing though the shelves in music stores, even though I have a over 10,000 classical tracks on my mp3 player. In London the best classical dept is to be found at HMV in Oxford St between Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus tube stations. This is huge and caters for the most specialist tastes. The HMV futher down the road at Bond Street is also very good, and convienient if you like to visit the Handel House museum nearby! The classical dept of Virgin Megastore in Oxford Street is big too but not as comprehensive as what HMV offers. Tower's London showpiece has been taken over by Virgin in Piccadilli Circus, the classical dept there is big but again not quite in the HMV league.


And how is the Handel house? a tourist trap, a real gem or something between the two?


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## Rod Corkin (Jun 1, 2007)

Mango said:


> The problem with iTunes (although I stand to be corrected) is that it's only available at 128 kbps, which I find is borderline hi-fi. The Radio 3 programmes, to which I referred, transmit over the UK airwaves at 192 kbps which is obviously better. There is, separately, a streaming version over the internet but that's only about 64 kbps.


I record all my tracks at 64kbps WMA as I only listen to them on my Samsung 20gig player. I tried a test in comparison with higher resolutions and the perceived reduction in sound quality of 64kb via my in-ear phones was negligable relative to the hard-drive space saved using this low res format. This Samsung (YH-J70) has superb sound processing features you don't find on any other brand as far as I am aware, so this can make even lame recordings sound full-bodied. Hell will freeze over before I buy any Apple product (and I worked in a wholely Apple Mac equipped office for 8 years, so I am qualified to make this remark!).


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## Rod Corkin (Jun 1, 2007)

Handel said:


> And how is the Handel house? a tourist trap, a real gem or something between the two?


They haven't made the most of it. Poor value for money unless you are a devout pilgrim like me.


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## Azathoth (Feb 28, 2007)

I forgot to mention, if there's anyone who can come to Manhattan for music, it's J&R.

There's also a used CD store around 19th and 6th that's pretty good. Not sure what it's called. That's just an approximation, I navigate by site.


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## Saturnus (Nov 7, 2006)

Rod Corkin said:


> Call me old fashioned buy I prefer browsing though the shelves in music stores, even though I have a over 10,000 classical tracks on my mp3 player. In London the best classical dept is to be found at HMV in Oxford St between Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus tube stations. This is huge and caters for the most specialist tastes. The HMV futher down the road at Bond Street is also very good, and convienient if you like to visit the Handel House museum nearby! The classical dept of Virgin Megastore in Oxford Street is big too but not as comprehensive as what HMV offers. Tower's London showpiece has been taken over by Virgin in Piccadilli Circus, the classical dept there is big but again not quite in the HMV league.


Well, _everything_ in HMV is on a whole higher level than Virgin Megastore. The Classical department has a much wider and better selection _and_ the prices are lower. The jazz & blues section was also similarly better. Even in the video games section they had this Korean guy who knew practically _everything_, but in Virgin there wasn't assistance in sight...


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Azathoth said:


> I forgot to mention, if there's anyone who can come to Manhattan for music, it's J&R.
> 
> There's also a used CD store around 19th and 6th that's pretty good. Not sure what it's called. That's just an approximation, I navigate by site.


Thanks for that, friend A! Time to lobby Mrs. Philly for a day trip. If you see me, I'll be the one in the Philadelphia Orchestra T-shirt (or the Wagner T-shirt, heh, heh, heh, even _fewer_ of those around), standing next to the woman who's as tall as I am (and _that's_ pretty tall)


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## Rod Corkin (Jun 1, 2007)

Saturnus said:


> Well, _everything_ in HMV is on a whole higher level than Virgin Megastore.


This is true but it wasn't always the case, I recall when I was a teenager getting rare import AC/DC albums at the Virgin Store in Newcastle that I could buy nowhere else. In those days Virgin was really good for specialist tastes, but that was over 20 years ago...


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## Frasier (Mar 10, 2007)

The expansion of classical browsers is indeed heartening news. Let's hope it isn't just to fill the space once occupied by popular discs now failing, thanks to these download sites with their mediocre-fi outpourings.


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## Rod Corkin (Jun 1, 2007)

Frasier said:


> The expansion of classical browsers is indeed heartening news. Let's hope it isn't just to fill the space once occupied by popular discs now failing, thanks to these download sites with their mediocre-fi outpourings.


Forget all this downloading stuff, whatever res it is. It's ok for your DAP on the way to work, which is all i use WMAs for, but for serious listening you need the CD and a good hifi.


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## Manuel (Feb 1, 2007)

Azathoth said:


> and the guy they had working there knew _each Faust._ Sorry about the excessive italics, but I think this merits it.


You are a lucky guy. When I go to the store the classic section guy is useless for me. If he approaches me (and he always does) I say something like "I'm just looking". And if he insists (you know they always do), I say I'm looking for an alternative recording of that Peterson-Berger symphony I like so much (the name and work changes with the time: sometimes can be a symphony by Joseph Otto Af Sillen, Liszt rhapsodies by Balint Vasonyi, etc), he then claims not to know what I'm talking about... and I'm free.



Rod Corkin said:


> Call me old fashioned buy I prefer browsing though the shelves in music stores, even though I have a over 10,000 classical tracks on my mp3 player.


OLD FASHIONED.

I think the stores will eventually disappear. As the number of releases increases it makes having stock a huge cost. Not to mention the additional need for space in aisles.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Virgin Megastore and HMV, wow I need my time machine


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

It looks like the world of TC ended for all those banned members who replied to this thread.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Klassik said:


> It looks like the world of TC ended for all those banned members who replied to this thread.


Your right you know gosh the mods must have had there hands full back then.............


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## Capeditiea (Feb 23, 2018)

it reminds me of the time when everyone was hooting and hollering about how 2000 was the end times... then after that everyone was hooting and hollering that the end times was 2007 when a store has shut down... which after that everyone was hooting and hollering about it being 2012... then 2015... then 2017...  but my end times has yet to come. *nods. 2046


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