Collector or Refiner?
Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 07 November 2005
Dear Friends,
I am someone who has had several times the number of records, CDs, tapes or even private recordings than occupy my shelves now. Recently, for example, I even found a happy home for T Nicholeaeva's fine Hyperion recording of the Goldbergs on the piano, which almost disproves my theory about the piano in Bach. It certainly gives pause for thought, and in my case about twenty years pause... But it went. I never retain anything once I loose interest in it. Not usually the music of course, but the performance. Then I read of people who have the umpteenth complete cycle of this ot that and realise I am quite at the polar opposite. I am almost anit-aquisitive I suppose. And I used to give really the best things away to encourage people, even though some of these were not possible to replace.
This does not often result in a one performance to a piece library, but, for sure, the performances must have something unique to show, or else they go... [Nine, odd, Choral Symphonies for example, but ony Beethoven Second Symphony at the moment].
What category do contributors fall into here, and why ? If that is not too prurient a question of course!
Sincerely, Fredrik
I am someone who has had several times the number of records, CDs, tapes or even private recordings than occupy my shelves now. Recently, for example, I even found a happy home for T Nicholeaeva's fine Hyperion recording of the Goldbergs on the piano, which almost disproves my theory about the piano in Bach. It certainly gives pause for thought, and in my case about twenty years pause... But it went. I never retain anything once I loose interest in it. Not usually the music of course, but the performance. Then I read of people who have the umpteenth complete cycle of this ot that and realise I am quite at the polar opposite. I am almost anit-aquisitive I suppose. And I used to give really the best things away to encourage people, even though some of these were not possible to replace.
This does not often result in a one performance to a piece library, but, for sure, the performances must have something unique to show, or else they go... [Nine, odd, Choral Symphonies for example, but ony Beethoven Second Symphony at the moment].
What category do contributors fall into here, and why ? If that is not too prurient a question of course!
Sincerely, Fredrik
Hardly categorise myself as anti-aquisitive, but a recent move did see a lot of pruning. As a consequence I have tried to now limit myself to buying things that will stand repeated listening and not just 1 or 2 listens.
When I started building my popular music collection I would buy everything available by an artist and then buy those discs on which they either guested or were referenced. If these subsidiary discs revealed an artist that I liked I would progress in the same way. I don't tend to do this anymore, altough there are exceptions to every rule, e.g. Richard Thompson. By nature a hoarder, my better half has made me understand that I don't need every CD in the shop (that's what she tells me anyway). I probably would collect everything if I could, but understand that this may not be socially / domestically acceptable. I think the internet has helped me become more selective though the ability to find musical clips rather than just text reviews.
Classical music aquistions were initially driven by whatever had been last seen in concert or heard on the radio and with selective reference to either parents, music teacher or local library. Also, I tended to buy 2nd hand albums rather than new. This cheaper route allowed me to experiment with both pieces and performers, which can be quite expensive when buying "new." I now know what I like and tend to buy based on reviews or radio listening. For things where I am not 100% certain or ignorant I tend to use the listening post at the local music store. I keep or have kept only those versions that mean something to me, even if they are not necessarily the "best versions" but it does mean that I still have many versions of the same piece. Still, explaining four versions of the "Nozze di Figaro" is not easy
Sorry for the rambling response, not 100% and seemingly not able to follow my reply in my head.
To answer the question, I think I have moved from being an aquirer to a high frequency, selective purchaser. If you can call yourself selective with over 2500 discs
When I started building my popular music collection I would buy everything available by an artist and then buy those discs on which they either guested or were referenced. If these subsidiary discs revealed an artist that I liked I would progress in the same way. I don't tend to do this anymore, altough there are exceptions to every rule, e.g. Richard Thompson. By nature a hoarder, my better half has made me understand that I don't need every CD in the shop (that's what she tells me anyway). I probably would collect everything if I could, but understand that this may not be socially / domestically acceptable. I think the internet has helped me become more selective though the ability to find musical clips rather than just text reviews.
Classical music aquistions were initially driven by whatever had been last seen in concert or heard on the radio and with selective reference to either parents, music teacher or local library. Also, I tended to buy 2nd hand albums rather than new. This cheaper route allowed me to experiment with both pieces and performers, which can be quite expensive when buying "new." I now know what I like and tend to buy based on reviews or radio listening. For things where I am not 100% certain or ignorant I tend to use the listening post at the local music store. I keep or have kept only those versions that mean something to me, even if they are not necessarily the "best versions" but it does mean that I still have many versions of the same piece. Still, explaining four versions of the "Nozze di Figaro" is not easy
Sorry for the rambling response, not 100% and seemingly not able to follow my reply in my head.
To answer the question, I think I have moved from being an aquirer to a high frequency, selective purchaser. If you can call yourself selective with over 2500 discs
Definitely a collector. Only dispose of doubles, triples, quaduplets 
DS
DS