Thanks to Jonathan Dodd for sharing details of this little-known gem. Ed
Did you know you can access free online music at Isle of Wight libraries?
In these days of money-grubbing, it’s refreshing to find some altruistic activity out there. I’ve recently discovered that Naxos, a well-known recording company, has made its entire catalogue available for anyone to use – FREE!
If you want to make use of this service, you just need to join the Library. If you’re already a member, there’s a membership number on your card. otherwise you can nip down to your local library and join – FREE!
You’ll not only be able to make use of all the Library services, but you’ll also be able to listen at home or anywhere to any Naxos music. It couldn’t be easier.
Here’s how you do it
Step 1 – Click on this link (link opens in a new tab)
Step 2 – Click on the classical music collection or the jazz music collection link.
Step 3 – Enter your Passcode (library membership number) and click on Login.
Step 4 – A huge collection of music is right there for you to select. There are nearly 1.5 million tracks in the Classical Collection, and nearly 100,000 tracks in the rather loosely-titled Jazz Collection – mainly old blues and jazz, with music from all over the world and across the centuries. Sometimes I just select something at random, and often hear things I would never have heard otherwise.
Shortcuts
At first, the sheer number of options can be daunting, but you can start either by typing something in the Keyword Search box, like this:
Or You can click on Composers or Artists or Genres and find what you want.
Then you can select it, choose the tracks you want to hear, and it’s played for you.
You can even set up your own personal playlists, or listen to other peoples’ playlists, if they’ve made them available.
IWSO Concert playlists
If you attend the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra (IWSO) concerts, you’ll find that they set up playlists for each concert, so you can become familiar with the music before you go.
So if you suddenly want to listen to Philip Glass’s First Violin Concerto, or discover what Gabriela Montero does so well, or you just want to plough through Mahler’s Symphonies, you’ll find it all here. Or you just might fancy a dabble in some obscure Mid-European Jazz, or various types of traditional world music. You can click and play to your heart’s content.
Listen on your phone
Sadly, if you want to listen to the Naxos Collections on your phone, the App they recommend isn’t a free service. But you can use your browser in the same way as above, and it works in exactly the same way.
Marvellous! I’d like to hear if you find something you really like on there. You could comment it. I’ll mention the Glass First Violin Concerto, and Prokofiev’s First Symphony. Or Bach’s Orchestral SuitesCorelli’s Concerto Grosso No. 9. Lovely.
And did I mention that it’s completely FREE?
Image: The Glass Desk under CC BY 2.0
