Len Fehskens wrote:
>I wonder why Philips concluded that a series like this would in fact be
>of interest to the "average record buyer", or who they think the "average
>record buyer" is. ...
>
>I think this is further evidence for my belief that the major labels
>haven't got a clue about who their real customers are. A serious
>listener/collector who buys 200 CDs a year (I buy more like 500 a year)
>is worth 20 collectors who only buy 10 CDs a year. Even if we serious
>collectors are outnumbered 20 to 1 amongst classical music buyers, we
>still account for half the business!"
I just bought the "introduction" set for this series, and going through the
archives, turned up this post from Len F.
Thinking about this, I have arrived at the conclusion that there is a
great need for a music consumer's cooperative (such as MHS could have
been). If a society could be established that:
(1) kept track of recordings or works that its members wanted,
(2) negotiated on behalf of its members for the publishing rights for
various recordings, or commissioned recordings according to demand,
(3) made recordings available to its members, and at slightly higher
prices, to non-members,
many of the problems that were pointed up in the above discussion would be
solved. (I am a firm believer in subverting the normal free market forces
of supply and demand.)
Well, I don't really mean that; I guess such a cooperative would be
providing a different service than does publishing houses such as BMG.
Inasmuch as they would be intruding on the market of the commercial
recording companies, they would compete with them in the usual way.
Thus, for instance, I would put in my request for a recording of
Walton's Wise Virgins Suite and wait patiently (perhaps canvassing for
it, a little,) until sufficient demand built up for the work, and it
was recorded. The moment I put it on the request list, I guess, I would
commit $x to the recording if and when it appeared.
Similarly, the other list member (Previte?) would put up $y towards
negotiating with BMG for the rights to Argerich's whatever recording.
After so many months, he would either get his recording, or his money
back.
If we know what we want, why can't we do something about it? It seems to
me that this is the most reasonable way of going about getting it.
If MCML ever decided to get in on this racket, I want credit for
originating the idea, or evidence that someone else came up with it
before I did (11/17/1999).
P.S. and we can put on any covers we want.
P.P.S. the photo of Argerich in the booklet accompanying the Great
Pianists promo disk is incredibly cute. I had a rather sleepless night,
I'm afraid.
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