The end of civilization
Or maybe not. There is an article in today's NY Times about the new Tristan und Isolde recording being made in London, which will, according to the article at least, be the last (or one of the last, I'm not clear which) studio recordings of a complete opera.
The article contradicts that of course (mentioning an upcoming Domingo recording of Puccini's Edgar). Alex Ross points out that Norman Lebrecht has (erroneously) been predicting the demise of the classical recording industry for some time. Like Mr. Ross, I can't agree with either prediction. We've had a number of studio recording recently but mostly from the non-major labels.
The current classical recording malaise has to do with two major factors: 1) the glut of CD reissues of older recordings counteracting the need for new recordings of familiar repertoire; and 2) the changed, unrealistic expectations of the major recording companies.
In the past classical recordings were considered a long term investment at best. In their first release sales would be modest, but the life of a typical classical recording would be much longer than that of a popular recording (which generally ends up in the bargain bin within a year or two). Then came The Three Tenors and their ilk, which produced incredible short term profit, and convincing the powers that be that classical recordings could be, in the short term, profitable. And so we were treated to an avalanche of crossover, movie music and ersatz-classical which (IMHO) might have some virtue in small doses, but in the porportions that emerged, merely served to dilute the product.
But notice that while the majors cut and cheapen their output, new smaller (leaner?) labels continued to produce quality recordings, mainly of underrecorded repertoire. Hyperion, Chandos, Harmonia Mundi, Naive, Nonesuch, and the budget wonder Naxos continue to make wonderful recordings that are increasingly lining my shelves. I don't pretend to know their sales or profit figures, but some of the more "established names" certainly would have folded long ago if they weren't able to balance their books.
All this makes me think that there is a certainly a shift in the classical market, which by the way, mirrors most commercial ventures: find a need and fill it (some wags might say: exploit it). For some it is releasing DVD versions of live performances, and others it is finding a underserved niche (unearthing baroque gems or exploring new music) in studio recordings. For me this is exciting: new repertoire and new media.
As for Tristan or Boheme, get me an exciting cast and conductor and I'll buy (I did buy new Vienna Tristan and will probably buy the new Domingo/Stemme/Pappano recording, when it is released). But without that, I think recording companies are better off saving the environment and I'm better off with Nilsson, Flagstad, Tebaldi, Bjoerling et al.
The article contradicts that of course (mentioning an upcoming Domingo recording of Puccini's Edgar). Alex Ross points out that Norman Lebrecht has (erroneously) been predicting the demise of the classical recording industry for some time. Like Mr. Ross, I can't agree with either prediction. We've had a number of studio recording recently but mostly from the non-major labels.
The current classical recording malaise has to do with two major factors: 1) the glut of CD reissues of older recordings counteracting the need for new recordings of familiar repertoire; and 2) the changed, unrealistic expectations of the major recording companies.
In the past classical recordings were considered a long term investment at best. In their first release sales would be modest, but the life of a typical classical recording would be much longer than that of a popular recording (which generally ends up in the bargain bin within a year or two). Then came The Three Tenors and their ilk, which produced incredible short term profit, and convincing the powers that be that classical recordings could be, in the short term, profitable. And so we were treated to an avalanche of crossover, movie music and ersatz-classical which (IMHO) might have some virtue in small doses, but in the porportions that emerged, merely served to dilute the product.
But notice that while the majors cut and cheapen their output, new smaller (leaner?) labels continued to produce quality recordings, mainly of underrecorded repertoire. Hyperion, Chandos, Harmonia Mundi, Naive, Nonesuch, and the budget wonder Naxos continue to make wonderful recordings that are increasingly lining my shelves. I don't pretend to know their sales or profit figures, but some of the more "established names" certainly would have folded long ago if they weren't able to balance their books.
All this makes me think that there is a certainly a shift in the classical market, which by the way, mirrors most commercial ventures: find a need and fill it (some wags might say: exploit it). For some it is releasing DVD versions of live performances, and others it is finding a underserved niche (unearthing baroque gems or exploring new music) in studio recordings. For me this is exciting: new repertoire and new media.
As for Tristan or Boheme, get me an exciting cast and conductor and I'll buy (I did buy new Vienna Tristan and will probably buy the new Domingo/Stemme/Pappano recording, when it is released). But without that, I think recording companies are better off saving the environment and I'm better off with Nilsson, Flagstad, Tebaldi, Bjoerling et al.
posted by Rich Russell at
4:22 PM
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