CD SHORTSIDED-NESS

Rip Rense’s article on the fuss over the first four Beatles CDs misses an issue more important than the use of the mono mix (“The Beatles on Mono: Try to See It His Way,” March 27).

Each of these CDs is only about half an hour long! The Compact Disc was developed to hold 75 minutes, long enough to contain a recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Capitol/EMI’s classical label, Angel/EMI, has a CD of the Ninth at nearly that length, with Wilhelm Furtwaengler conducting the Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra.

I’m not trying to draw comparisons in musical quality, but it seems to me that Capitol/EMI’s “short-sided-ness” with regard to these Beatles CDs is something every consumer should consider before buying. I won’t buy any 30-minute CDs, and from what I’ve read in some review magazines, I’m not alone.

Capitol/EMI should keep this in mind while planning future releases.

MATTHEW B. TEPPER

Los Angeles