Amazon is a great place to buy CDs. Presto Classical goes one better and sends a weekly newsletter which introduces the reader to new recordings and all sorts of events in the world of ‘classical’ music. But. And, of course, there is always a but. I’ll come to it soon.
The other day CJ and I were in Linghams a bookshop in Heswall on The Wirral where we have morning coffee, do the crossword and where I usually buy some cards and the very occasional book. Unfortunately Amazon is usually too competitive to be ignored in the book stakes. However Linghams also sell a small selection of CDs.
Not a huge range but they do have some of music which is less well known than the main classical recordings. When CJ and I were there recently I found two CDs by composers of whom I had never heard. I’ve been collecting CDs since they were first produced and keep reasonably abreast with the sort of music I like. So I was quite surprised to find two CDs which looked very inviting. I bought them.
I was not disappointed. Schmidt’s Symphony No 1 is redolent of Brahms and Bruckner and is in the grand scale. Fry’s works on this CD are large symphonic works in romantic style but full of fun – it is possibly the first example of the use of a saxophone in a symphonic work.
Yes. Serendipity is found in bookshops and music shops.
