James:

>Anyway, here is another milestone in the increasing marginalization of
>this niche market by the recording industry.

Patrons of Tower Records will have noticed the same thing.  The
Classical sections are shrinking to the point of why-bother.  I live in
the Washington, D.C., area.  There's hardly a point of going to any Tower
anymore except the Rockville and downtown stores.  Even the downtown
Classical section has been giving up space to crossover, and they even
got rid of their Classical magazine rack.  And parking is murder down
there.  The real sign that the section is fading away is the fact that
the shelves underneath the racks are now almost all empty.

Yes, I know we have the Internet -- and I use it for Classical purchases
-- but sometimes you just have to handle the merchandise while making
important decisions.

Mitch Friedfeld