In Sunday’s (4/12) Denver Post, Kyle MacMillan writes about a new arrival in his mailbox: “Titled Listen: Life With Classical Music, it is the first general-interest classical magazine published in the United States since the 1992 demise of Musical America, which exists in a restructured form online.” MacMillan notes that the economy and recent decline in print journalism makes it a risky time for such a venture, but “founder Eric Feidner is undeterred. … The magazine faces some tough competition. Dominating the field are the British-based Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine, both literate, well-edited publications that do a thorough job of covering the field internationally. … The biggest differences are Listen’s emphasis on features over news, considerably fewer but longer recording reviews, and added focus on the nonmusical aspects of artists’ lives, such as pianist Helène Grimaud’s favorite vacation spot.” MacMillan believes the magazine must focus on the American scene, groundbreaking trends, and the business side of the industry for it to carve the niche it will need to succeed. Listen is published by ArkivMusic, also founded by Feidner, which sells classical CDs and DVDs online.
Posted April 14, 2009
