Karl Miller:

>The real question for me, as a producer, is, would a CD of Berkeley's
>music actually sell twice as many copies at half the price. I don't know
>the answer to that question,...

The real question is how much money would a producer be willing to risk
to get the answer, but I would certainly wager a small sum that it would
indeed sell twice as many as half the price.  The chief reason is that
people who buy unfamiliar repertoire--such as myself, for instance--approach
the decision to buy with the thought that if an inexpensive recording
proves not to be to one's taste, then little is lost, but if the price
is high then one wants to have heard it first--or at least to have thought
it over thoroughly.

The success of Naxos has been discussed; it tends strongly to support
my point.  BMG has also proved the point, I am sure.  Historically, back
in the 1950's when the former "majors" were going strong, but considering
raising the price of a $6 disc to $10, they instead dropped the price
to $4, as I recall, and sales took off.

Jim Tobin