THE PRIDE OF BALTIMORE: An Die Musik Takes On Giants

George "Doc" Manning runs An Die Musik's Jazz department.

Just a few blocks down Charles Street from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in central Baltimore, Maryland -- a town once dubbed America's sleaze capital by filmmaker John Waters (who should know about such things) -- is a small shop named An Die Musik.

It is, curiously, a cozy and civilized CD store specializing in classical, jazz, and world music, with a knowledgeable staff and a wide selection. In a world of giant music superstores like Best Buy, Tower Records and HMV, as well as online megadealers like CD Now, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, An Die Musik dances to a different drummer. A visit to the shop reveals that while bigger may often be better, sometimes small is indeed beautiful.

An Die Musik was rated the "Best of Baltimore" by the Baltimore City Paper, and called "well worth a trip . . . the most inviting and personable venue" by Tim Smith, music writer for the Baltimore Sun. In a surprise classical quiz, Smith found An Die Musik was the only store with recordings of all nine operas on his list, including a rare historic live broadcast of Bidu Sayo in Pelleas at the Metropolitan Opera. Indeed, this seemingly modest shop appears to be trying to become the best independently-owned classical music store in the country, if not the world.

Henry Wong, the dynamic proprietor of An Die Musik, originally trained as a scientist. He brings empirical precision to the evaluation and dissemination of quality recordings that complements a passionate love of music. He has been in business ten years.

Some three years ago, An Die Musik moved from suburban Towson, Maryland to downtown Baltimore, and has become a pillar of civilized life for a city engaged in a struggle to revive its almost ghostly downtown.

In Wong's buiness model, a smaller store can offer depth that a big box cannot. Where some record stores might stock just one version of the complete Aida, An Die Musik has six different productions on its shelves at any one time. Patrons can listen to any new or used CD at one of two listening stations connected to eight CD players to pick out their favorites.

"You can't do that at Barnes and Noble," notes Gregory Oed, who runs the World Music department. "We recommend you listen to anything you want before you buy it."

A quarterly newsletter features local music news and in-depth reviews of different performances, providing the personal and passionate evaluations by music lovers, instead of puff pieces copied from promotional brochures. The store's website features a partnership with classicalcdreview.com, and specializes in "honest and thorough reviews," according to Wong.

"We never do 'pay for placement'," says An Die Musik's founder. "We strictly write about what we like, and our reviews are by our friends. The recommendations come from people knowledgeable about classical music. Our model is The Gramophone."

Wong takes a personal interest in the classical selections, is an active supporter of the local music scene, especially the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and Meyerhoff hall. The walls of An Die Musik are graced by signed photographs of musical celebrities from Yo Yo Ma to Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley -- whose Celtic band O'Malley's March's CDs, Celtic Fury and Wait For Me, are on sale. Wong also sponsors the "Face the Music" radio show on Baltimore classical music station WBJC-FM.

Although he doesn't believe in market research, Wong says he does pay attention to what sells in his store, which is not always the same as what is selling nationally, even when exposed on NPR. One thing is clear, he says, "local artists sell better than the San Francisco Symphony." Among the best-sellers are recordings by Baltimore talents Hilary Hahn and Manuel Barrueco, as well as Baltimore Symphony conductor Yuri Temirkanov.

Wong works closely with all the musical institutions in town, especially the nearby Peabody school, whose students and faculty are part of the An Die Musik family -- a special point is made of having their CDs available on the shelves, for example a rare recording of Hyunah Yu's Celebration of Song. Wong adjusts his seasonal purchases to reflect the concert and opera schedules, so that local music lovers can prepare for upcoming concerts and performances. While major labels like Deutsche Gramophon, Phillips, Sony, and RCA account for between 60 to 80 percent of sales, the remainder comes from smaller independent and foreign labels. "There are a variety of versions that people like to hear," says Wong. "And we can recommend our favorites."

In addition to its reputation for Classical and World Music, An Die Musik is something of a mecca for jazz lovers. George "Doc" Manning, a popular host with his own program on Morgan State Radio's WEAA-FM, selects the jazz catalog, writes for the newsletter, and works evenings at the shop.

"Doc's a local celebrity," says Oed. "People come down especially to meet him."

Oed has a simple explanation for the dedication of staff like Doc Manning. "A lot of people who end up working in a music store end up being there because of their love of music," he says. "The satisfaction comes from turning customers on to your passion."

"Being in Baltimore may make it a little tougher here than in New York City," says Wong, but not impossible. "The Peabody is up the street, there is the Symphony, the Opera, and an active music scene. It is not like being isolated in a loft somewhere in the Middle West."