David Harbin writes:

>Dear All, I heard on the grapevine that Classic CD has ceased publication.
>Is this true?

The grapevine is correct.  I've received a notice from CLASSIC CD that
the November issue will be the last.  I share Don's lack of enthusiasm for
the increased attention to jazz, world music, etc.  in CLASSIC CD's pages.
Not that there is anything wrong with these, it's just not what I was
looking for when I subscribed.  In retrospect, I presume it was an effort
(evidently a failed one) to appeal to a wider market.  Like David Harbin,
I very much enjoyed Michael Tanner's reviews.  It was he who introduced
me, in his writing for CLASSIC CD, to Furtwaengler, and for this I shall
forever be grateful to the magazine and to him.  (However, I did think
Tanner's continual slamming of Solti could be tiresome and represented
something of a blind spot.  Moreover, his zeal to knock Solti at every
opportunity led him on occasion to outright misstatements, as when he
claimed on more than one occasion that Solti never conducted RHEINGOLD
before he made the Decca recording.  Having said all this, it was to
Tanner's reviews that I would turn first whenever an issue came.) The
cover disc was useful not only in leading people to buy CD's (as was the
case with Mr. Hardin).  I can remember more than one CD that got very
enthusiastic reviews, but on hearing the samples I decided they weren't
for me.  That, too, was a service.

Nick
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