How is Warner doing in comparison to the old EMI?

[Lance]

"The greatest recording organisation in the world" was EMI's slogan. If I did a count on just labels, I think EMI would always take first place in numbers. Now that Warner has taken over the EMI label (among others, too), I believe they have recovered well in earning $$$ from the "old" EMI product reissues. But where does Warner stand today on anything NEW that wasn't previously EMI? It doesn't seem to me be nearly as expansive. On the other hand, the Universal Group's overtaking of Decca (and related companies), DGG, Phililps, and others, seems to have broadened their catalogues greatly (and also thank you for all the big box set reissues, too). I always felt RCA and Columbia were the patrician labels in the USA, especially RCA, and while both companies had immense catalogues, it didn't compare to EMI. What is your thought on the subject? I have to mention, too, that my acquisition of NEW artists (not repertoire) has become limited to a few on the classical music scene today such as Viner, Hamelin, Wang, Hough, many singers, but not many conductors; some cellists and violinists, so in not seeing the magnitude of the takeover companies of more contemporary artists is my fault. I just kind of miss the days of looking at all the new releases ... just doesn't seem the same today.

[maestrob]

Lance, I miss the days when labels here in America had the resources to launch their own record (and later CD) clubs. Columbia Records was particularly effective at marketing its classical recordings, with a quarterly FREE LP (Audition) that would feature not only tracks from their newest recordings, but interviews with performers and conductors of the period.

Nowadays labels must rely on reviews and streaming to power CD sales, and frankly, Warner IMHO has not kept up with, say, Chandos or Decca or DGG in making high quality new releases. Yes, I'm grateful for the mega-boxes, but DGG in particular seems to be snapping up young artists with futures ahead of them, especially pianists.

Thankfully, I still feel overwhelmed by the number of excellent recordings being produced, finding it difficult to "keep up" with the flood of new releases from all labels. So, although things have changed, the quality is definitely there, even if the former major labels can't corner the market any more.

[Holden Fourth]

I started my record collecting in my early teens with the wonderful World Record Club. I remember my first purchase. I had been given the Kempff (mono) LP of LvB 8, 14, 23 for my birthday and as a pianist I wanted to further explore the Beethoven sonatas. So my first purchase, oddly enough was Op2/1, Op2/2 and Op77 Fantasia in G minor played by Hans Richter-Haaser. I have since reacquired this in CD form.

[barney]

I started my record collecting in my early teens with the wonderful World Record Club. I remember my first purchase. I had been given the Kempff (mono) LP of LvB 8, 14, 23 for my birthday and as a pianist I wanted to further explore the Beethoven sonatas. So my first purchase, oddly enough was Op2/1, Op2/2 and Op77 Fantasia in G minor played by Hans Richter-Haaser. I have since reacquired this in CD form.

That Kempff was an early purchase for me, too, Ric, and I too enjoyed the World Record Club.

[Belle]

That's a blast from the past, World Record Club!! I wonder if it was only for antipodeans?

[Lance]

Brian, I well remember those RCA and Columbia "clubs" where you get the audition LP. One I was hoping to see one LP was devoted to pianist Earl Wild recorded it for RCA issued in 1962 [CSC-302] under the auspices of the Reader's Digest Association.. This consisted of Franz Liszt operatic paraphrases. When RCA's complete RCA box set [03074] came out, there was a note therein stating that "special edition" was not an RCA product, but Reader's Digest! What a disappointment. Fortunately, Forgotten Records issued a CD of this [799], but I believe that's no longer available. I have all those "audition" LPs. What a great idea to sell records. And yes, DG is getting some new artists and I believe Decca is doing well in that department as well. THOSE WERE THE DAYS!

Lance, I miss the days when labels here in America had the resources to launch their own record (and later CD) clubs. Columbia Records was particularly effective at marketing its classical recordings, with a quarterly FREE LP (Audition) that would feature not only tracks from their newest recordings, but interviews with performers and conductors of the period.

Nowadays labels must rely on reviews and streaming to power CD sales, and frankly, Warner IMHO has not kept up with, say, Chandos or Decca or DGG in making high quality new releases. Yes, I'm grateful for the mega-boxes, but DGG in particular seems to be snapping up young artists with futures ahead of them, especially pianists.

Thankfully, I still feel overwhelmed by the number of excellent recordings being produced, finding it difficult to "keep up" with the flood of new releases from all labels. So, although things have changed, the quality is definitely there, even if the former major labels can't corner the market any more.

[Holden Fourth]

That's a blast from the past, World Record Club!! I wonder if it was only for antipodeans?

Belle, I believe that it was started in Britain and spread out into the Commonwealth. Australia had it's own LP pressing plants for the major companies so that would have made it easy to set up. I think of all the wonderful recordings I got from them including Gilels/Ludwig LvB PC4, their gold editions where I started collecting Schnabel LvB sonatas, Solomon playing the Waldstein with Schumann Carnaval on the flip side along with many other LPs. My introduction to Cluytens LvB symphony cycle was through WRC. There were also some obscure artists who I never heard of again - the name Andre Krust springs immediately to mind.