Donald Satz asks:

>a.  What about Arte Nova? The Naxos lovers seem to treat this other budget
>label as a non-entity.

Actually, not so in my case.  I bought the Alexander Quartet Beethoven set
and like it very much.  Now, did I make a careful comparision of all the
complete quartet sets out there and decide to get this one regardless of
its budget status? N0.  of course not.  But I did know that it was well
thought of by people I respect, and that Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe
had mentioned one of the late quartets in his best of the year listing.
So price counts but so does quality.

One great thing about Naxos is their adventurous repertory combined with
the modest price.  It is difficult to hear unfamiliar music before you
purchase a cd.  Certainly classical music radio is of only limited help
here.  There are listening earphones in Tower and in Borders, but they are
limited to a relatively few new issues.  But if you buy a cd of unfamiliar
music by Gubadulina or Rautawarra for movie money on Naxos, and you don't
like the stuff, no big loss is involved.

Professor Bernard Chasan
Physics Department, Boston University