A few points, if I may? I venture to suggest that I think Don Satz is being
a little too simplistic.  That is indeed how the market place *should* work
but let me point out two things, if I may.

There is a soprano the demands of whom I know to have resulted in virtually
bringing about the end of her recording career (and there are very few
concert appearances).  When a royalty **advance** is set at a level that
obliterates **for all time** the possibility of making the recording then
the recording simply never gets made.  You notice that I'm not even talking
about recording costs!!

I don't call that "a market place."  A market place is where trading takes
place on terms acceptable to both parties.  Lebrecht is right that this all
too common problem exists and should, in theory, be corrected in the course
of time by "the market" but there's no evidence yet of it even beginning to
turn.

As for lawyers being in the same "market place"....  well let me say that
in UK the middle classes hardly dare consult them any more.  I haven't
spoken to mine since 1987 and if I so much as dared to make a phone call
then the egg-timer would move into operation and I'd get a bill based on
a minimum of $500 per hour which will include the time taken for social
graces (weather, family etc..!!).  Don't even think about giving a
lawyer lunch (even a pub lunch) - you'll get billed for that too.  Greed
(corporate and other) is overwhelming the UK at this time making the place
the worst value for money on the planet - but that's another story.

Finally the abusive language of Steve Schwartz does nothing for him or
Mr.Lebrecht although I think he should contain himself as you never know
who is reading the List.  I have one observation to make about Lebrecht's
publications and that is that when I read something he says that I know
(from the inside) to be correct I find myself wondering why I am believing
the rest!  When he came to writing about the head of a certain artist
management company in NY, then I believed every word!

British *** bastard living in Spain...
John G. Deacon