Classical music shops

[Christopher]

Could we have a section where people can flag up good classical music shops that they know of?  We all know where our high street HMV-type shops are, but not the smaller independent sellers who often also do a good line in second-hand CDs and LPs that can yield some real unsungs.

For example, I came across a wonderful shop last week in Notting Hill, London - Classical Music Exchange (40 Notting Hill Gate - http://www.mgeshops.com/classical-music-exchange/) - a small and very non-flash shop that I almost walked straight past - inside it has a HUGE number of LPs and CDs, including vast amounts of Unsung music.

It would also be a useful resource for people who are travelling to less usual destinations and would like to buy some local classical music but don't know where the music shops are. For example, I am travelling to Tallinn Estonia in March, I have had to trawl the internet to find out where the music shops are, and even now I don't know if they are pop-music-only!  It would be really useful if someone here might have posted up such info.  I in turn can put up info of classical music shops in Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia; Yerevan in Armenia; Riga in Latvia; Zagreb in Croatia; and probably some others.

[I would love to hear the thoughts of others.

[Mark Thomas]

This thread will do the job nicely thanks, Christopher, no need for a special section.

I always visit Harold Moores on Great Marlborough Street when I'm in central London but, to be honest, haven't found anything in the last few years which I didn't already know about from the internet. When making a trip abroad I used to avidly research where there were classical CD stores in my destination and look them out, seldom returning without some exiting find or other. The internet has killed all that. There are no serendipitous finds any more and it's pretty clear that the days of buying music in shops are fast coming to an end. I do miss the thrill of the chase or the delight of an unexpected find, but on the whole I prefer the convenience and immediacy of internet music buying.

[Alan Howe]

Mark says it all really. The future's either the 'net or second-hand emporia such as CME (must have a poke around there when I'm next in town!)

[Christopher]

This thread will do the job nicely thanks, Christopher, no need for a special section.

I always visit Harold Moores on Great Marlborough Street when I'm in central London but, to be honest, haven't found anything in the last few years which I didn't already know about from the internet. When making a trip abroad I used to avidly research where there were classical CD stores in my destination and look them out, seldom returning without some exiting find or other. The internet has killed all that. There are no serendipitous finds any more and it's pretty clear that the days of buying music in shops are fast coming to an end. I do miss the thrill of the chase or the delight of an unexpected find, but on the whole I prefer the convenience and immediacy of internet music buying.

My experience has not been so bleak Mark.  When I have travelled to "unsung" countries (Latvia, Armenia, etc), I have always found music by (usually local) composers that is either not on the net, or of whom I hadn't heard (and so never looked for them on the net). These countries are much less internet-penetrated, so there is life in their high-streets yet!

And shops here also continue to yield nice surprises - I left the shop in Notting Hill with a fascinating CD of 19th-century Turkish composers, including some music written by the Sultan himself, and a piece by his wife!

[thalbergmad]

My tours of the record shops in London have long gone and will probably not return.

The one opposite Charing Cross Station was too expensive, Tower records classical dept was too small, Virgin was too crowded and I am now too wide to get down the stairs at Harold Moores.

Do I miss it, not really.

Thal

[Alan Howe]

...and I don't have the shekels to scour shops in exotic lands. The 'net it is, as far as I am concerned.

[jerfilm]

I'm with the rest of you.   we're so well informed today about releases that i haven't bought a CD in a shop for maybe 20 years.  I used to love wandering around London looking and for years traded Lps with a friend in Manchester who worked at the HMV shop there.  I was also traded a lot of Lps with a friend I made in Czechoslovakia and visited there a couple of times.  The first trip was during the old cold war days and THAT was exciting as there were many supraphons, melodiyas and other eastern labels that were not available here in the colonies.   But of course, luckily, that ended in 1990.......

I would love to do some traveling like Christopher talks about but age has made anything but "easy" trips abroad, a thing of the past.

Jerry

[Jonathan]

While I was a student, I lived half a mile from MDT Classics shop in Olde Blacksmiths Yard in Derby.  Now of course they are totally internet based.
When I lived down south, I used to frequently go into CD shops in London, the last time I went (about 2 years ago), I did visit the Classical Music Exchange which I found very good.  Unfortunately, I'm so busy and far from London that travelling is no longer praticable.  We do have Pomp and Circumstance in Harrogate though - it's got a good selection if you are ever in Yorkshire.  Banks in York is pretty hopeless now for CDs.

[thalbergmad]

Whenever I go on a score hunt to Hay-on-Wye, I frequently drop into Hancock & Monks.

Lots of cd's and buckets of dusty old scores.

http://www.hancockandmonks.com/shop/ 

Thal

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, Hancock & Monks is a fascinating shop. I have never bought CDs or scores there, but the music books are (or were, the last couple of times I was there) eye-wateringly expensive. Especially when you consider the bargains often available in some of the other book stores in Hay; I bought my first edition 1880s four volume set of Groves at one for just £20!

[Wheesht]

Somehow I must have missed this shop on my previous visits to Hay - I'll try and rectify that next time. Although I usually don't find what I'm looking for in High Street shops, I am more than happy to make discoveries in places that I don't know so well and I for one would be grateful for hints where to go to in Riga, for example.

[semloh]

I used to live in Brighton, Sussex, and was spoilt for choice when in came to record shops! But that was the 70s. 

There's only one decent CD shop here in Townsville, Queensland, namely a representative of the national chain "JB Hi-Fi", amd they just stock a few mainstream items. So, it's the internet for me too - mostly from Dutton/Vocalion (a package of six arrived on Monday!), and occasionally from Amazon or E-Bay. The only problem then is postal charges, of course, which often represent a third of the total cost. I really don't want to turn to downloads but I suppose I will have to eventually.

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, join me on the Dark Side, Colin (maniacal laughter...).

[jerfilm]

And me, Mark.  Mostly you get twice as much for your nickel  (pound, euro, whatever) too.  And some vendors are now including the booklet, covers, label as part of the download (in case your eyes are still good enough to read those pesky, tiny type fonts......)

I recently suggested to one of our favorite import vendors that he go to downloads and cut his cost of investory BIG TIME and he got quite testy about his customers wanting booklets, original CDs, etc.  Apparently I didnt count as one of his.  That quickly ended the dialogue.

Jerry

[Alan Howe]

I'm one of those customers who still want a physical CD, I'm afraid. But why not offer both?