Glenn Miller responds to Steve Schwartz:

>>Also, I think in general Naxos is a greaty buy, particularly if you want
>>to sample something way off the beaten track at a small price.
>
>I wonder about that now because I am now seeing Naxos selling for $8.99 a
>CD (7.99 in most places) when they used to sell for $5.99.

The whole notion of Naxos being so inexpensive may be coming to an end.
Here in Albuquerque, the price over the past year has gone from $5.99
to $7.99.  That is very significant in relationship to an EMI or Decca
2-cd set which sells as  - 2 for 1.

A perfect example is the Beethoven Sonatas for Cello and Piano. Decca
offers Harrell/Ashkenazy on a 2-cd set with a 2 for 1 price - EMI does
the same with du Pre/Barenboim.  The Naxos cycle is already at 2 discs
with the last two Sonatas not yet recorded.  The end result will be that
the Naxos recordings will cost at least $25, while the Harrell and du
Pre are each well under $20.

Leaving aside the question of performance quality, a buyer can get
big-name sets at significantly less cost than the Naxos team of cellist
Maria Kliegel and pianist Nina Tichman.  Not to slight either Kliegel
or Tichman, I do feel that their performances are at least the equal of
the Decca and EMI duos.

Don Satz
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