A recent search by genre on Live365 reveals 529 radio stations categorized as "classical" on the service. An impressive number, to be sure. But what does this mean to the classical music lover? Manna from heaven? Or confusion best avoided? First, understand that most of these stations are grassroots, amateur productions, the product of music lovers sharing their passion (19 are "professional" stations). Second, know that it is the broadcasters that classify their stations. This means that if Joe from Cleveland has three tracks of classical music in his thousand track "Joe's Crazy Mix" playlist, he is free to designate his station as "classical" (stations can have multiple genre designations). This means the number of true classical stations is less than 529. Yet there is much to be found in this chaotic yet glorious multitude of broadcasts. You should also know that I am no classical music expert: just a layperson interested in discovering good new music (even if it happens to be 300 years old).
With these caveats out of the way, let's have a look at what Live365 has to offer. If you sort list of stations by popularity, you will see at the top of the list, Whisperings - Solo Piano Music, followed by Old Christian Radio and Mozart, Forever, Always (all professional stations). Peruse further and you will see that classical music on Live365 runs the gamut from "lite" classical to avante-garde, from early music and religious hymns to movie soundtracks and video-game music.
Down further on the list is the Classical Archives station, voted best classical station in 2004 by Live365 listeners in the high listenership category (over 10,000 Total Listener Hours per month). This particular station is broadcast at a relatively low bitrate, 24 Kbps, and can be listened to by dialup users. For those who demand the best sound quality, as classical listeners often do, there is the option of sorting the list by streaming bit-rate and sound quality. At the top are 54 classical stations which stream at 64Kbps using the mp3PRO format—alleged to be CD quality by Live365. Paying subscribers get access to the Radio365 player which is mp3PRO capable. Others can listen to these stations at lower fidelity using a regular MP3 player. Or they can seek out other players that are mp3PRO capable.
What sets Live365 apart from other services, however, is the presence of specialized, narrow focus stations. It has Baroque stations and then, for example, it has The Unknowne Baroque, featuring "over 170 pieces from over 150 different baroque composers."
There is the popular Classical Guitar.cc station. Then there is a station devoted to the 10-String Classical Guitar. FLUTE List Radio plays music recorded by members of the Flute e-mail discussion list while the Basson station features "The Art of the French Bassoon." There are numerous stations devoted to the piano, and numerous others devoted to the organ, including ORGANLive and Adagio for Organ, whose producer aims to record music played on notable or rare organs: When allowable, the organs heard are identified by year built, builder name (+ if added to), number of manuals-ranks; followed by the indication of "concert" (live performance) or "live taping" (undubbed analog tape).
Other stations focus on a particular artist, such as Strictly Dvorak, and The Music of Hildegard von Bingen. Right now I am listening to the cheerful strains of Great Strauss Waltzes.
There are lots of stations devoted to choral music too. From boy sopranos to plainchant, from the Calhoun High School Choral program to Russian and Swedish Choirs, the choices are many.
If you're looking for modern or experimental classical music, try Iridian Radio, whose tagline reads "music that's smart, but still warm to the ears." Or Innova.mu—Classical, produced by the American Composers Forum. Continue browsing the listings and you'll come across offbeat stations like Battle Anthems: music from Gladiator, the 13th Warrior, and other battle-worthy soundtracks. Getting ready to do battle? This one might be the ticket. With Live365, you're never quite sure what you'll find next.
—Andy Breeding
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