Howard Popeck:
As part of my continual effort to broaden my classical music horizons I have applied lateral thinking which has turned out to be rather effective and pleasurable. I’ll share it with you although I recognise that it probably won't be of use to you if you are already where I want to be - music wise.
Despite being steeped in the ethos of audiophile reproduction, I am when it comes to classical music more interested in the emotional strength of the performance rather than the brilliance of the recording. So I selected three performers who impress me deeply with the quality of their performances.
I picked Itzhak Perlman, Glenn Gould and Arturo Benedettti Michelangeli. Then in eBay I set automatic searches with the following filters;
- Up to £3.33 + PayPal accepted
- In the UK + CD-only.
- Post free
This has produces a steady stream of CDs that have yet to disappoint.
Am I just lucky so far, or have I inadvertently come up with a simple method that could be used by people like me who are deeply sympathetic to classic music but lack the raw knowledge to know what to buy? Time will tell.
