Labels of Canned Classical Music
Speaker: Marc
Why Canned Music?
• • • • Though not live, but real enough One-time cost Easy to access Long-term preservation
Universal Classics Group
• Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft • Philips • Decca Records
Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft
• Founded in Hanover • Since December 1898 • Long been known for its high standards of audio fidelity • Nowadays Pillars of the label
– Bryn Terfel – Lang Lang – Yundi Li – Hilary Hahn
Philips Classics
• Started in the eighties • Record label of Dutch electronics giant Philips • The label is was merged by parent Universal Music into Decca Records • Nowadays Pillars of the label
– Valery Gergiev – Alfred Brendel
Decca Records
• Became major classical label in the 40’s. • A leading label for both classical music and Broadway scores • Now making comparatively few major classical recordings • The Solti Ring was voted best recording of all time by readers of the influential magazine The Gramophone
Warner Classics
• Erato Records
– founded in 1953 to promote French classical music – became part of Warner in 1992
• Teldec • Apex
– offer outstanding value of money
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
• Sony Classical Records • BMG Classics
– RCA – Arte Nova – Melodiya
Sony Classical
• Started in 1927 as Masterworks Records • Acquired by Sony in 1990 and renamed • Nowadays Pillars of the label
– Yo-Yo Ma – John Williams – Joshua Bell
BMG Classics
• RCA
– the best-known classical label in the early years of the 20th century
• Arte Nova
– makes classical music available at bargain prices
• Melodiya
– the Russian label
EMI Classics
• Formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases • Celebrated its Centenary in 1997 • Nowadays Pillars of the label
– Maxim Vengerov – Simon Rattle
Independent Labels
• • • • • • • BIS Brilliant Classics Chandos Harmonia Mundi Hyperion Supraphon Telarc