The Gramophone

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The Gramophone
Sep 2006 cover of The Gramophone: "British Music Revolution"
Editor-in-Chief	James Jolly
Categories	classical music
Frequency	monthly
Publisher	Haymarket
First Issue	1923
Country	England United Kingdom
Language	English
Website	www.gramophone.co.uk
ISSN	unknown

The Gramophone is a glossy publication published by Haymarket devoted to classical music and particularly recordings of classical music. It is based in London. Founded in 1923 by the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie, it is one of the widest circulation periodicals devoted to this genre of music, and considered one of the most prestigious outlets. It gives out Gramophone Awards each year to the classical recordings which it considers the finest in a variety of categories.

In the title bar of its website [1], as of January 2006, The Gramophone claims to be "The world's best classical music magazine". This boast used to appear on the front cover of every issue, although recent editions have changed the wording to "The world's unrivalled authority on classical music since 1923".

[edit] Criticism

Perhaps because of its prestige and influence in the classical music world, The Gramophone is often attacked, particularly by commentators in the U.S.A. The most common grounds for criticism are a perceived bias towards British composers and performers, an alleged preference for bland, middle-of-the-road performances, and its close commercial relationship with big recording companies such as EMI. Similar criticisms are also directed at the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs, which is written by a trio of longtime reviewers for The Gramophone.