Listen : Life With Classical Music

Listen -Life With Classical Music is one of the newer magazines covering classical music and probably the newest magazine covering it in USA/North America. It started modestly a few years ago and has grown to such extent the curent issue (June 2012 or "summer") is 96 pages. The magazine is published quarterly in a full-size (8 1/2 by 11 inch) format on high quality pulp paper as opposed to slick glossy pages. I did not find a webpage listing in the magazine and assume it does not have one.

Compared to other magazines of its type, I'd say Listen tries to be more like Gramophone or BBC Music Magazine insofar as it is full of color advertising, photos and personality pieces. The summer 2012 issue contained only a four-page "Recommended" section that deals with brief reviews of recorded music. The rest of the pages are dedicated to advertising, pieces on performers, composers, their music or musical venues. In no way does Listen compare to review-heavy magazines like American Record Guide or Fanfare; it is definitely long on glitz and, in my mind, short on substance and content.

That's not to say I dislike the magazine. I recieved it first on a freebie basis, then subscribed for a couple years because of the low subscription price and on the chance it would become more substantial as time went on. One definite advantage is Listen is an easy read, sometimes with fairly interesting content like a story an issue or two back about one-hit wonder Hans Rott, whose Symphony in E inspired Gustav Mahler. The current issue has stories on types of dances, dance at the Guggenheim, Ute Lemper and Profofiev's Cinderella, among others.

I think it is improving in terms of comprehensive content but I am disappointed it does not review more new or reissued recordings. From the looks of things, reviews of recordings are an afterthought for Listen. This seems unusual to me since just about any new website or magazine can acquire lots of free new releases from manufacturers by asking. They can receive more by telling the distributors they will give them good reviews.

As an American that's followed classical music and the classical music press for four decades that first subscribed to High Fidelity and Stereo Review, I'd like to liken Listen to them but it's not in the same category, at least not yet. Listen seems more most dedicated to acquiring color advertising and publishing content aimed at beginners. I don't discount that, especially the advertising, as it is an effective way to show readers about new releases. With sound bytes of new recordings available all over the web, it's important for any publication to tell us about new offerings since we can find the rest ourselves.

To me, Listen: Life With Classical Music is best suited to young people or others new or recent to classical music. Most veteran collectors, performers, musicians and followers won't find much new in it. But the price you'll pay for a subscription -2 years (8 isuses) for less than $15 in the blow-in card in the summer issue) -is unbeatable. I don't know what you last bought new for $2 but it probably wasn't a classical music magazine.

I have been a subscriber for the last two years and I must say the magazine is first rate. The interviews are great. Top notch artists have been interviewed (Anne Sophie Mutter, Joshua Bell, Yo Yo Ma etc). The writing is quite good and the magazine is laid out very well. The font size, print quality and reviews are very good.

I like ArkivMusic's 'Listen' all the more because it is published here in America and gives me information on upcoming shows in the US. I agree with another reviewer and wish that this was published more frequently than just four times a year. An excellent value for any classical music fan.

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If you love classical music, you will love this magazine and it is actually for US customers. I have subscribed before to many European classical music magazines which are good, except all events mentioned usually do not pertain to US customers. Good articles and music reviews! I wish it were published more than 4 times a year!

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i FOUND A PRICE OF $13.49 for a 2 TWO YEAR SUBSCRIPTION on the website: webmaster@cinradio.org. Your lower price submission will not accept this as a valid URL. This magazine offer was subsequent to a CD that I ordered through WGUC Daily Broadcast listings when I heard a harp recording that I wanted to purchase and ordered. It was published by ARKIV

Mary Martin

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