As (I think) the only Fanfare reviewer playing in this sandpit, I ought to
respond (a few days late) to the speculation about a correlation between
advertising there and getting good reviews.  The answer is:  there is none.
What occasionally happens is that, if the critic to whom the disc of an
advertising company has been sent really pans it, the editor (Joel Flegler)
will submit another copy to a second writer in the hope of a balanced
reaction.  But in my experience (a) there has never been an attempt to
suppress the initial, critical review (he publishes both), and (b) he has
taken such protective steps ONLY when a small, often start-up recording
company has been involved -- I have never know him step in to shield any
of the big boys.  And that, I think, makes his policy thoughtful, even
admirable.

As to reviewing only those companies who advertise, I think he takes the
view that, since he can't cover everything that comes out (and you see how
fat Fanfare is already), he may as well concentrate his resources on those
companies which also support Fanfare -- although he also realises that
there are companies he can't ignore.  It's rare that he cans any suggestion
of a review I might make -- and as often as not, it's because the company
involved isn't distributed in North America.

Cheers

Martin Anderson
Toccata Press
http://www.classical.net/music/books/toccata/