The Well-Tempered Ear
Gramophone critics name their favorite recordings of 2023
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By Jacob Stockinger
Based in London, Gramophone Magazine — below is the December cover celebrating the centennial of opera legend Maria Callas — is probably the best known and most highly respected magazine to focus on classical music.
The monthly features and reviews are usually quite illuminating. And the year-end wrap-ups or seasonal holiday guides are often excellent for purchasing CDs and LPs, or for simply finding out and sampling the new releases of the past year on a streaming service.
Below are the the favorites by various critics for Gramophone.
The Ear finds it particularly interesting and telling that the critics refer to their “favorite” recordings — not the “best” recording — of the past year. I find “favorite” more honestly subjective than the falsely objective “best,” which takes no account of personal taste or preference.
Unfortunately, unlike many other similar lists the Gramophone story does not include samples from YouTube or the actual recordings. (You can hear one sample in the YouTube video at the bottom where Andras Schiff plays Bach on a rarely heard clavichord.)
But each selection has a link to the full review that appeared in Gramophone.
You should know that Gramophone has the reputation of favoring British composers, artists and labels. And that nationalistic bias shows in some of this year’s selections.
Nonetheless, many of the choices —across many different genres from instrumental and vocal soloists to chamber music to orchestral and choral music — are informative and intriguing.
Check them out for yourself via this link:
To see any crossovers in British and American year-end lists, you can check out this year’s Top 10 from Tom Huizenga on National Public Radio (NPR):
What do you think of the selections?
Do you agree with any? Which ones?
Do you have your own suggestions about the best or favorite recordings you heard this year?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Are high ‘handling fees’ scams or fair?
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear is beginning to wonder whether handling fees are sometimes scams and ripoffs in disguise.
A friend recently wanted to buy a good seat to see the Madison Opera’s upcoming production of Richard Strauss’ opera “Salome” in the Overture Center on Nov. 4 and 6.
The ticket ran $141, no small amount to see an opera that lasts only 110 minutes with no intermission.
But in addition, the friend had to pay an additional “handling fee” of $21.
That comes out to about 15 percent (rounded off from 14.89).
Too high to be accounted for just by inflation.
The friend was puzzled since the ticket was booked completely online through a computer. How much handling could there possibly be?
It is enough to make you wonder: Is the percentage indeed fair and a standard business practice
But the so-called handling fee seemed excessive to the friend.
Such an expensive handling fee seemed more and more like fiscal padding.
Maybe it is little more than camouflage to increase profits while making tickets look less expensive than they would be otherwise.
Maybe it is to make up for production costs, not just buying a ticket.
Maybe it is indeed the industry standard.
Bug it seems more and more likely that exorbitant handling fees in arts organizations are similar to what airlines do with baggage fees, leg-room fees, and seating-placement fees.
Similar to what sports teams and athletic organizations do to pressure fans into so-called donations.
To increase the bottom line. Money, money!
Maybe the organizations and offices could simply be open and honest, and tell consumers more about what the “handling fees” actually pay for. Buyers deserve transparency and accountability.
Otherwise handling fees start to seem like more of a scam or a ripoff than a fair price for a necessary service.
What do you think?
Have you had experiences with handling fees that you considered excessive from an arts organization or another business?
How did it make you feel?
The Ear wants to hear.
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