The American Record Guide

In Classical Music in a Changing Culture, Donald Vroon takes no prisoners in assessing the challenges and failures and possible successes that confront America’s future as a nation of music listeners. Vroon delves into a variety of topics: orchestra finances, contemporary music, classical music marketing, attracting young crowds, musical aesthetics, the future of classical music, the sale and distribution of music in the modern era; the decline of American culture and its causes; the role of misguided ideologies that affect American music, from political correctness to multiculturalism to period performance practice, and the true richness of our music and its subculture.

" ... The only source dedicated to music from 1900 to 1965. Plus its extensive coverage of 78s puts you in line for vintage-vinyl collecting success. Inside you'll find: 30,000 individual recordings; 9,000 price changes; 7,500 recording artists with 900 first-time listings!; 1,600 label photos including 200 additions ... ; 78s, 45s, EPs and LPs; four major categories (jazz, big band; country Western; blues; R & B, rock 'n' roll); all-inclusive artist index ..."--Back cover.

Classical Listening: Two Decades of Reviews of Reviews from The American Record Guide collects the several hundred reviews produced since Rob Haskins’s start in the mid-1990s. A performer and musicologist, Haskins writes delightful, cogent reviews that unapologetically reflect his personal experience, musical interests, and professional background, emphasizing the value of subjectivity in music criticism. Witty, provocative, and eloquent, Haskins’s book reads like a diary of personal experience even as it addresses important topics as diverse as historical performance practice and the aesthetics of contemporary music. It is also a perfect guide to buying or listening for the classical music devotee seeking an informed opinion on the breadth of remarkable recordings available.

An illustrated listing of thousands of records in several categories released between 1900 and 1965 in alphabetical order with pricing.