Here's the first four paragraphs of an article from today's New York
Times.  Note especially the third.

   "Sony BMG Music Entertainment said yesterday that it would
   restructure its classical music division with the introduction
   today of Sony BMG Masterworks.  The division will encompass
   the former Sony Classical and BMG Classics lines.

   "The individual labels, including subsidiary imprints, will
   retain their names, logos and artist rosters.  So, as examples,
   the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the pianists Emanuel Ax and Murray
   Perahia, and the violinists Midori and Joshua Bell will
   continue to be marketed as Sony Classical artists; the pianist
   Evgeny Kissin and the tenor Ramon Vargas will still record
   for RCA Red Seal; and the conductors Nikolaus Harnoncourt and
   David Zinman will record for Deutsche Harmonia Mundi and Arte
   Nova, respectively.

   "But Gilbert Hetherwick, who became president of the [classical
   music] division in January, said yesterday that the new name
   was meant to suggest a change of philosophy.  It is intended
   not only to evoke past glories - Masterworks was CBS's flagship
   classical line long before Sony bought the company from CBS
   in 1989 - but also to signal what Mr.  Hetherwick described
   as a renewed commitment to the core classical repertory.

   "Mr.  Hetherwick reports to Michael Smellie, the chief operating
   officer of Sony BMG Music Entertainment, and both men repudiated
   the notion, standard at classical labels since the mid-80's,
   that pop-classical crossover projects were necessary to keep
   a classics line afloat.  Peter Gelb, who ran Sony Classical
   until Mr.  Hetherwick's appointment and who is to become
   general manager of the Metropolitan Opera in 2006, was a
   strong proponent of crossovers."

Are we beginning to turn the corner?  Here's a link to the entire
article.  Registration is required but free:

   http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/12/arts/music/12sony.html?

Mitch Friedfeld