Where to buy Classical music?

Valmont

In Dublin City Centre.

It's happened to me on more than one occaision in HMV, where I buy something and it is completely not what I thought it was. For example, after watching Chinese pianist Lang Lang perform Liszt's Hungarian rhapsody, I went out to purchase it. All the C.D said was "Liszt - Hungarian rhapsody", so I figured this was it. Unfortunately in my ignorance, I wasn't aware there was a piano solo version and then a symphony one (I know!). It has now happened with a chopin cd, gershwin, rachmoninov and Debussy.

Is there any specific classical music c.d shop in Dublin where the sales assistants know about classical music and can advise me accordingly? Or am I just clutching at straws?

Thank you.

paul mccarthy

Just to let you know that I have the same problem, but HMV is the best of the worst that I know of. Nobody seems to care too much about the classical listener-it's ridiculous!

Vinnie69

Valmont wrote:

In Dublin City Centre.

It's happened to me on more than one occaision in HMV, where I buy something and it is completely not what I thought it was. For example, after watching Chinese pianist Lang Lang perform Liszt's Hungarian rhapsody, I went out to purchase it. All the C.D said was "Liszt - Hungarian rhapsody", so I figured this was it. Unfortunately in my ignorance, I wasn't aware there was a piano solo version and then a symphony one (I know!). It has now happened with a chopin cd, gershwin, rachmoninov and Debussy.

Is there any specific classical music c.d shop in Dublin where the sales assistants know about classical music and can advise me accordingly? Or am I just clutching at straws?

Thank you.

Yes it is very hard to find any sales assistanats that know their Classical music, the best ever was Bernard Clarke when he worked in Tower but nowadays he is to heard on Lyric fm ! Suggest you try Cosmic Sounds in Goatstown, they will try to help if they can. They distribute a lot of independent label inc. Naxos and Hyperion:D

Doshea3

HMV (Grafton Street) have a very good selection, but I find that their classical CDs are generally quite expensive. For a better bargain you should try Tower Records in either Wicklow Street or above Eason's in O'Connell Street, and Tower in Wicklow Street sometimes (though not very often) have someone there who knows their stuff.

I can relate to the Hungarian Rhapsody story: I long sought a good recording of the Second Rhapsody, which I thought I had found until I went home and played what was actually the orchestrated version. (I admire Liszt's piano writing, but his orchestration isn't quite as fantastic, and I think the orchestration of the second rhapsody is very poor in comparison to the piano original.) Also, while I don't know much about Lang Lang, from what I've heard he plays the Horowitz transcription of the Second Rhapsody, and not the Liszt original. This piece is even more difficult to find, as Horowitz himself only recorded it once (as far as I am aware). I recently found it on a 4-CD Horowitz box set which I got for a bargain price (€6.99 reduced from €29.99) in HMV (you'll find it in the corner along with other box sets). The only snag is that most of them are early Horowitz recordings, dating from the 1930s-'50s, and the sound quality is often quite poor (plus, he doesn't seem to be playing his own piano for most of them). I'd recommend it if you're a piano fan.

As for Lang Lang, I only heard of him recently, when I heard him perform the Horowitz Second Rhapsody transcription. Only thing I didn't like was his hyper speed in the opening section.

Anyway, I hope that's of some help.

Setun

In Tower Records the guy behind the counter in the classical/ jazz section is very helpful when he's there. Check it out!