Why are classical albums so cheap?

You're looking at $3 worth of music right here. 

The whole basis for this blog is the contention – supported by lots of inexpensive evidence – that it is possible to amass a respectable collection of classical music without going broke. Vinyl these days is inexpensive, if you know where to look. I’m not talking about the 180g records that new artists now release alongside their CDs. That’s a welcome marketing strategy, believe me, but I didn’t start this blog to write about new records.

My interest lies in the forgotten gems: albums that you can find in the $1 bin at a thrift store, yard sale or music store. Because if you search those bins, the only records available are:

1. lousy pop/rock/easy listening records; or
2. classical albums by the likes of Mozart, Brahms, Ravel and others.

This is not to say that classical music is inherently great and pop music is inherently bad. I love all kinds of music. But once you reach into the bargain bin, the choices seem to be reduced to the above. Given a choice between Ronnie Milsap and Leonard Bernstein, which would you choose?

Yeah, me too.

Part of it may lie in the ubiquity of classical recordings. For one thing, they’ve been around longer than rock ‘n’ roll albums, which only date to the 1950s. And the works of the great composers have been performed and recorded over and over again. So perhaps there’s a glut in classical music that doesn’t exist in later genres.

You could go your entire life without acquiring every recorded version of, say, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. But there are only so many versions of “London Calling” by The Clash, for instance, or “Abbey Road” by The Beatles. Record collectors are more willing to hold on to rock records – I suspect, based on no scientific evidence.

You know what they say: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The upside is that classical albums are more accessible than pop, rock or jazz records – if you have a turntable. (Of course, you can still find bargain-basement classical CDs cheaper than some rock albums).

Since I’ve started this blog in January, I have spent maybe $20 on classical albums. At a respectable independent record shop, that will get you one copy of “Heaven is Whenever” by The Hold Steady and it won’t even buy you the reissue of “Exile on Main Street” by The Rolling Stones. In terms of both quantity and quality, music lovers get a better deal when they go with classical.

Other sites, like the excellent Classical Convert and Get Into Classical, explain why the genre is not just for snooty elitists. So I won’t do that here. But I maintain that if you want to acquire music cheaply, classical is the way to go. Then there’s the added benefit of getting to listen to great music.

In a later post I’ll explain how I get the music from my record player onto this blog, if you’re interested.

Young composers, performers featured at Bach Choir concert in Bethlehem

(Full disclosure: I wrote about this concert for The Express-Times, the newspaper where I work.)

As proof that classical music isn't just the legacy of a bunch of dead white guys, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem this weekend will have its 11th annual Family Concert, featuring school-age performers and composers. Alongside the works of Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach will be new pieces by two high school students and a middle-schooler.

The concert takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday in Baker Hall at Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, Pa. If you get a chance, check it out.

To whet your appetite, here's a video from 1985 of a performance of the Agnus Dei from Mozart's "Coronation" Mass. As a footnote, none of the Family Concert's featured performers or composers were alive when this was filmed:

Why records are better to listen to than CDs

I have long been a fan of the long-playing record, as many of my friends who've been unlucky enough to help me move them can attest. Is it the portability? The ease of use? The compatibility with other listening devices?

Sadly, none of those things. I simply prefer vinyl -- classical or not -- because I think it sounds better. On CD, the music feels muted. More so with mp3 players, but I have to admit those are awfully convenient. Records, with all their scratchy, analog sound, have a wonderful depth to them that I have yet to find elsewhere.

I could go on and on about it, but this discussion thread from a few years ago sums up the arguments nicely for why vinyl beats compact discs.

And in the interest of fairness, here's an article that suggests the whole vinyl superiority thing is just a myth.

What do you think? Discuss in the comments.

Where you can find inexpensive classical music for your turntable

How do you like to listen to music? Take the poll at the left. If you, like me, prefer the LP to the CD, check out some of these sales on classical records:

• In Minneapolis, someone's selling Telarc records for $10 each.
• This person in Oklahoma City has a long list of box sets and individual LPs available, but still higher than my own $1 threshold.
• Of course, on eBay, a search for "classical records" with a sales price of $1 or less brings up a whopping 388 entries. 
• Finally, a seller in Ohio has more than 200 "33 1/2" classical records for sale. The ad says some have never been opened. Make an offer. On the downside, if you don't live near Berea, Ohio, that's a long trip.