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Subject:
From:
Karl Miller <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Moderated Classical Music List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 6 Jun 2006 09:43:11 -0500
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FYI

   In a move that has surprised the classical record industry as
   much as the people involved, Warner Classics has, in essence,
   ceased to be an active record label.

   Matthew Cosgrove, who has steered Warner Classics and created a
   respected niche label that has attracted musicians of the calibre
   of mezzo Susan Graham, pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Nikolay
   Lugansky, conductors Daniel Barenboim and Sakari Oramo, had left
   the company (and it is thought that he will be announced at the
   new Vice President of A&R at Deutsche Grammophon within the next
   few days).

   Warner Music made a substantial investment in classical music
   under the leadership of Ramon Lopez in the 1990s, building on
   the impressive legacies of the French Erato label and the Teldec
   label in Germany.  When the company downsized its classical
   division, Cosgrove was given the brief to revive the company
   with a greatly reduced staff (indeed, his team was smaller than
   at many independent companies).  His recordings have consistently
   garnered critical acclaim and have balanced often inspired 'core'
   classical projects with explorations of the more arcane areas
   of the repertoire (two discs of the music of John Foulds have
   been particularly well received, both being named Gramophone
   Editor's Choices and both featuring in the short lists for the
   Classic FM Gramophone Awards).

   Warner Classics is being rolled into Rhino, Warner's reissue
   division, though it is unclear at the moment of the parent
   company's ambitions in the classical music world.  This move by
   Warner reduces the so-called majors in the classical record arena
   to just EMI, Universal and Sony-BMG.  James Jolly, The Gramophone,
   editor-in-chief

Karl

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