Steve Schwartz wrote:

>Tom Connor:
>
>> Anyone have an opinion of the Columbia Record Club.  12 free Cds for
>> joining, only have to buy 5 over 2 years, etc.  Shipping is high, but I'm
>> curious about members experiences.
>
>I dropped my membership.

I'm a bit diffident about writing, as I consider my Columbia House
membership one of my "guilty secrets," but my experience has been so much
better than Steve's that I feel the need to say something.  I've been a
member for several years.  During this time, the selection has improved
considerably.  I use it for repertoire that I am less fussy about than the
Austro-German central tradition (where I am more likely to have very
particular and sometimes cranky reasons for wanting particular
performances).  Over the years I have put together, e.g., a collection of
most of the various Verdi and Puccini operas in what my reading suggests to
me are among the better performances, and I've done so at pretty good
prices.  Sometimes the savings are remarkable--I got Abbado's BORIS GODUNOV
(4 CD's, I think) for $3.98.  And sometimes they have exacly what I want,
such as the Emerson Quartet's Beethoven set or Richard Goode's Beethoven
sonatas or Murray Perrahia's Mozart Piano Conceros or Barenboim's TRISTAN,
at very good savings.  And I find myself trying out recordings, often
happily, that I would be unwilling to sample at full price.  I have had a
couple of occasions to call their customer service and have found them
polite and efficient.  E.g., once I ordered the Beecham London Symphonies,
which didn't arrive, though the bill did.  I called them, and without any
questions they just sent me another set.  I keep wondering whether it's
time to drop my membership, but I haven't.  The fact is, I'm a very
satisfied customer.

Nick
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