Derek Lim asks:

>Which classical music brand do you prefer, the big named brands or the
>obscure ones- here is a chance to point out which brand you prefer.  Please
>pick your top 7 brands- if the brands are not on the list and you have a
>special preference please add it in.  Your orders of preference should
>include the following- Quality of recordings, repertoir, soloist,
>packaging, Conductors etc.  The brand names are:

1. Lyrita.

For repertoire - for example, until recently, they were the only label to
have recordings of Rubbra symphonies.  They still are, AFAIK, the only
label to have recordings of Grace Williams or Daniel Jones.

If long playing times count as "packaging", they come first for that too.

2. Naxos.

I've got more Naxos CDs than of any other label, so they must be doing
something right.

3. Olympia.

For repertoire again - this time, I'll single out the Kancheli symphonies
- and for an absorbing performance of Gorecki's 3rd.

Quality of recording is a weak point.

4. EMI.

In particular, EMI Eminence's Vaughan-Williams cycle and the British Music
series.

Quality of recordings is very good, and - far more often than the other
majors - they do uncommon repertoire which appeals to me.

5. RCA.

Mostly for the reissues of the 1960s recordings by Previn and the LSO of
20th-century symphonic music.

6. Royal Classics.

For value for money: Cluytens's Beethoven cycle and Berglund's first
Sibelius cycle each at about the price of one full-price CD.

7. Delos.

For repertoire - Piston and Diamond, in particular - and long playing
times.  If they'd finished the cycle of Piston symphonies, they'd be
higher up the list.

Peter Varley
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