Kevin Sutton wrote:

>Mary Esterheld wrote:
>
>>I find it interesting that 'NAXOS' (rather than the US) is putting out
>>an American Classics series but anyway the CD contains four works:
>
>Is American music the sole domain of American Record Labels?  For that
>matter, ARE there any American record labels that aren't owned by a
>foreign interest that have the financial resources to record a large
>scale series of orchestral works?  Naxos has also recorded enough German
>music to sink a ship. Is that unusual?  By that logic, shouldn't Deutsche
>Gramophone be the sole carrier of German music?

Well, Deutsche Gramophone did place some emphasis on German Music.  Other
labels like Swedish Society Discofil, Caprice, Finlandia, New World,
CRI, Donemus, NKF, Gallo, Portugalsom, Fennica, ITM, etc.  all seem to
have some geographical bias.

As for US owned labels with the financial resources to record American
Music...well even the major European labels aren't willing to devote the
resources to record American Orchestras...at a minimum union rate of
$40,000 you can't make back your money.  And that minimum won't get you
the Chicago Symphony!

As for recording US music...

Albany records has used the Albany Symphony and other US orchestras.  In
some instances they get grants to foot the bill, other times an orchestra
might be willing to forego the union rate.  MMC uses non US orchestras.
While I don't know what sort of review process there is for that label,
it appears to be a vanity operation.  Even with that consideration, I
have found a few of their issues to be outstanding.

As for my own label, if we can get reimbursement for sold product, we
hope to contract an orchestra in Kiev to do some recording of American
Music.  It is the only affordable way to record something that isn't
likely to sell more than 1,000 copies.

I believe Seattle is an exception, but as far as I know, their local
wavied the fees.  Yet from what I have heard, they have quite a bit of
stuff that remains unissued, as Delos didn't think they could make back
the investment of just pressing.  I don't have the whole story for sure.

It was a few years ago a friend of mine sent me a tape of William Schuman's
8th Symphony done by the San Francisco SO with Tilson Thomas conducting.
It was wonderful.  I thought to myself how terrific it would be if they
recorded all of Schuman's Symphonies and Piston's as well.  There are
times when I think Tilson Thomas has a better sense of American Music
than Bernstein did!  It is a such a pity that MTT's perspective on so
much American Music of that generation will be lost.

Karl