by David Rowe
This is the first of three articles, in which collector of classical CDs and trusted reviewer David Rowe of davidsclassicalcds.com discusses the current state of classical music on compact disc.
Classical music is playing a major role in keeping the CD alive. There are still a substantial number of new releases on disc each month. However, the business of selling classical music on CD has changed significantly in the streaming era.
The three major labels – Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group – have swallowed up many smaller classical labels over the decades. The majors are determined to glut the marketplace with endless reissues. Although admittedly, these labels do occasionally come up with notable new releases. Thankfully, there remains a wide variety of truly outstanding independent classical labels that regularly produce important new releases. I favor the indies because they display an enduring passion for quality, from repertoire and performers to their outstanding recorded sound.
Not surprisingly, time has taken a toll on many labels. I could list a dozen or more which have ceased to exist over the decades – whether from acquisition (hostile or otherwise) or simply due to flagging sales. Fortunately I saw the contraction coming early on and began frantically buying up as many discs as I could, either new or used, from these labels. I specialize in rare and hard-to-find titles, so as labels go under their catalogs fall out of print.
Historically, two labels have been especially influential in the long-term success of the classical CD industry:
Naxos
Naxos started a significant trend in the late ’80s/early ’90s by offering classical CDs at a budget price, which changed everything. Not only did it attract a new generation of collectors to classical music simply because it was more affordable, it prompted the major labels to begin creating mid-line series in order to remain competitive. They began digging into their back catalogs and reissuing pre-digital recordings on CD at a reduced price. The art of digital remastering began, which is another aspect of CD in which classical music has led the way.
Naxos originated in the UK, but was founded by Klaus Heymann, a German living in Hong Kong. The label managed to maintain quality as well as profitability by recording minor orchestras, which were less expensive to employ and didn’t require contracts. They avoided star soloists and conductors, and utilized basic artwork. They also appealed to the collector with enterprising repertoire, and excelled at recording complete collections of a variety of composers, and filling in gaps in the recorded oeuvre. Collectors were willing to take a chance on unknown works and performers because these CDs were more affordable. Now Naxos’s budget pricing is long gone; I now consider them to be at the low end of full price.
Telarc
The other trailblazing label was Telarc, founded in Cleveland, Ohio. Telarc set out to exploit the extreme dynamic range capabilities of CD with completely uncompressed fortissimos. They introduced some of the most spectacular recorded sound ever heard in the home, fueling the boom in high-end home audio equipment. Telarc recorded major symphony orchestras with big name conductors and specialized in full-scale orchestral repertoire. They became known for their realistic reproduction of the intense impact of the orchestral bass drum in all its mighty size, power, and amplitude. The venerable vinyl LP couldn’t begin to reproduce this low frequency intensity without distortion. Telarc even carried warning labels on their cover art advising the listener to be careful of playback volume, lest they damage their speakers!
Today, independent luxury classical labels continue to produce state-of-the-art recordings, often with preeminent soloists and ensembles, and a wide diversity of repertoire. Not surprisingly, those discs come with a luxury price to match. Typical full retail prices today are around $20 per CD. Among these labels, Chandos and BIS lead the field, with most of their titles offered as hybrid SACDs (classical recordings are also playing a key role in keeping the SACD format alive). Smaller labels are still in the mix too, producing very high quality music and sound, often with lesser-known artists and composers, and often at lower prices.
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