Bernard wrote:

>>It seems the me that that the record industry has now yet learned the
>>economic basis of commerce.   Price it fairly and they will buy!  Nineteen
>>bucks for stuff that costs $3 to produce is not only unfair to consumers
>>it is stupid on the part of the get rich quick artists.

And Karl suggested:

>There seems to be many factors to consider, Naxos is probably the major
>one. They own their own world wide  distribution which virtually assures
>them of some return in sales. If they pay an artist, it is up front.

So Naxos's very presence runs counter to the business viability of CM?
I'd go along with Bernard in thinking (if I've got him right, or if I
can extrapolate) that surely their _absence_ was permitting all the
gouging.  To the contrary, then, their presence is salutary: plugging
many of us in to so much that would otherwise get no exposure -- or which
might, given the cost of DG, Hyperion and other full price CDs, be much
slower in reaching us.  Plus, of course, making the more familiar fare
available without having to sell yr heirlooms.

In fact, I puzzle over why so many labels haven't made the Naxos move.
Vox is one: their catalogue continues to expand at a syrupy crawl, yet
I understand that they're the ones who pioneered the cheapo CM recordings
game.  Helios on Hyperion and other comparable attempts to join that
fray (ASV's Quicksilva, etc.) are so shy as to not appear to want to go
beyond prudish toe-dipping.

Speaking of which: check out a new Helios CD of chamber works by Lennox
Berkeley.  And, speaking of whom: pity that Lyrita was so laughably
over-priced: they had at least one very nice recording of LB's fine
symphonic works, but single-handedly stifled any chance of Berkeley
fandom through outrageous pricing -- which takes it back to the original
point.

Now Chandos has to work uphill to rectify that, though they're marring
the effort by mixing their releases with his son's music!

Go figure.

Bert Bailey