Donald Satz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Penguin Books has embarked on a musical venture by offering older Polygram
>recordings at relatively low price.  .
>
>The strategy involves having liner notes written by well-known and regarded
>authors and essayists.  Penguin's thinking is that folks who are avid
>readers but not avid music buyers will purchase the cd's for the liner
>notes; the music becomes an added bonus.

I think there's a little more to it than that.  For the CM addict the
strategy is to remind us of a favorable Penguin Guide rating.  For the
novice who reads and is curious about CM the notes are an endorsement,
holding out the promise that the buyer will learn something worthwhile
about the work.With say 10 copies of Beethoven's "Moonlight" or Bach's
Brandenburg Concertos to choose from (and only the Border's staff to rely
on for a referral)the format narrows the range to a "safe" low risk choice
either for themselves or as a gift.  Young adults who are curently enrolled
in English classes or have been recently in school know Penguin Classics as
the authoritative source for standard texts.  I bought Penguins for Dickens
because they included all of the illustrations and had helpful reference
features for further exploration.  The Penguin Classics approach may work
because it gives a young adults a point-of-entry into the world of CM.

Jeff Tedford <[log in to unmask]>