Penguin Guide

The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music is for many collectors the Classical recordings bible. In its original guise, under the authorship of Ivan March, Edward Greenfield and Denis Stevens, it was published in 1960 as ‘The Stereo Record Guide’. Penguin Books began its long association with the guide in 1975 with Robert Layton joining Greenfield and March as co-author. All three were also regular contributors to Gramophone Magazine. From then on and on a continuing basis the Guide has been updated and recordings have been awarded a straightforward star rating from one to three. Recordings of exceptional quality have been awarded the coveted Rosette. In this format with its straightforward rating system, the Penguin Guide has been widely acknowledged as an essential one stop reference point for connoisseurs and beginners alike. The Penguin Guide has also been an indispensible aid to Classical music retailers and in the tradition of the best retail outlets of the past, Passionato has detailed information on Penguin rated recordings available to download from our site.