In the Wall Street Journal today (section B2) is a story about Rhapsody
(www.listen.com).  Until 2/21 there is a free trail.  I downloaded
the software.  At the site you can listen to music on your PC (nothing
new there) and burn the music onto a CD. There is a lot of classical
music from current and past albums (RCA Victor Gold Seal, for example).
Although most pop music is burnable, much classical is not yet, but all
music can be listened to.  They say that they are continuously buying
licenses - this is not a napster type site, its perfectly legal.  It may
help you find obscure music/artists and save a trip to the record store.
Its 4.95 per month and 49 cents per burned track for the first 3 months
then its 9.95 per month and 99 cents per burned track.

You can also start your own radio station of your favorites, build
playlists and e-mail them to a friend (say, "Here's my favorite Chopin").
Its a great way to introduce your kids, et al to CM.  Just burn them a
CD of CM music that you think will hook them on the genre.

This is a business model that pays for the music and makes it readily
available to the public.  It may be the future distribution for music
the theory being that rather than buying a CD of 15 tracks for $20.00
because there are 2 or 3 great tracks you want, you just buy and burn
the 2 or 3 great tracks and skip the filler tracks.

You should check it out.  For the next 7 days its free.  Download and
install the software, go to the classical section, and listen to see
if its for you.

I do not have any financial interests in this, just passing on a good
idea if you missed the WSJ.

Bill Pirkle