Denis Fodor ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Roger Hecht writes (in part):
>
>>Obviously, when you can produce a fine recording at a fraction of the
>>price of one put out by the London Symphony,or more so, moneywise, Berlin
>>or a major American orchestra, you'll do it.The downside is the effect on
>>the so called majors who are relegated to making very few recordings
>>nowadays.
>
>I wonder whether that means that in the process the buyer of "bargain"
>recordings is encouraging a drop of quality in the market overall.  S/he
>may be.

Not in and of itself, I don't think.  Arguably the standard repertoire is
quite well enough represented on disc and while, for example, I personally
suspect Rattle's Beethoven cycle (whomeever it turns out to be with) will
be excellent - judging by his recent live 6 and 9 - and I'll be eager to
acquire it.  But the world doesn't *need* another Beethoven symphony cycle,
when we can already choose between so many truly great ones.

OTOH, Naxos certainly need make no apology any longer for the recording
*quality* of its best issues (I phrase it like this because none of the
majors are consistently excellent in this area and I can think of a few
real dogs); just last night I was doing my final listening to the disc of
orchestral music by Ferde Grofe (Bournemouth SO, Stromberg - who he?) and
the sound is quite superb - as it needs to be for some of FG's more
spectacular effects.

So IMHO as long as the major keep a respectable selection of past
recordings of the major repertoire in their catalogues (and I have to say
that Peter "The Destroyer" Gerb's abandoning of Sony's Masterworks Herotage
Series is not a good omen) then I don't much care if they don't re-record
any of them during my lifetime.

Seems to me they should concentrate more resources on filling in the gaps,
which certain minor labels have shown can be quite profitable.

And, although it is entirely sui generis, can we really keep referring (if
only implicitly) to Naxos as anything other than a major label? Slice it
whichever way you like, repertoire depth or breadth, they match up to most
of the other majors.

Deryk Barker
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