Donald Satz <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >It's hard enough for an orchestra to remain strong and viable in the >U. S. with clearly defined goals; without them, the whole house could >crumble. I have no way of knowing whether the Phillies have any kind of coherent strategy planned; but (assuming that they do) the proposals as outlined make rather more sense than some i've heard. The situation as i understand it as follows: the orchestra has lost it's recording contract; & i assume they want to do something about it (the Phillies may (or may not) need the luxury of a recording contract for financing purposes; but with the orchestra's long tradition in the studio, i'm not sure how well a no-recording proposal would go down in the city). I'm also assuming they the orchestra (& its backers) would consider signing for Naxos (again assuming that King Klaus would consider signing the orchestra an asset to his label) beneath their dignity: to an orchestra with the perceived pedigree of the Philadelphia, a recording contract means recording full-price core-repetroire prestige releases; not budget-priced discs of dangerously interesting music. (I think these assumptions are all pretty valid, if somewhat jaundiced) The orchestra has a couple of options: they can look for a conductor with a castiron recording contract; & induce him (are there any hers?) to decamp from his present gig. This, unfortunately, runs the risk of costing a packet & still isn't guaranteed: Neeme Jarvi has had more recording contracts than i've had Chinese dinners; & even he couldn't guarantee studio time for Detroit. Alternatively: they can do as the Phillies seem to be doing; & see the future being in coproduction. If the orchestra using corporate tieins to start financing its own recordings (probably of popular repetroire, which can be tied into orchestra programming), it won't be long before a company in search of cheaper product offers to distribute the discs outside Phil. Suddenly the Phillies have a new recording contract: & XYZ Phil is out on its ear... which isn't so surprising (or unfair), since XYZ probably got its gig by bring sponsorship dollars (or some other competitive financial advantage, such as a favorable exchange rate) to the table. (If all this makes it sound like i consider most full price recording to be glorified vanity publication: i do; & to add slander to contempt, i think that full-price orchestral recording (in particular) has become rather like top level motor-racing: seats are bought by the orchestra with the deepest sponsorship pockets. Take a close look at most classical CD covers nowadays & you'll see enough ads & commercial acknowledgements to drown a whale; & ask yourself again: why was _this particular recording_ committed for sale? Could you simply be paying for a musical advertisement? In many cases, i really think people are...) Even stripped of it's profound cynicism, this speculation may be in advance of the logic currently in vogue in Philadelphia; & therefore may be giving them credit for more (dark?) vision than they actually have. Still: where they're going _seems_ to have some financial validity... or at least: more validity than Don Satz would them credit for.... All the best, Robert Clements <[log in to unmask]> <http://www.ausnet.net.au/~clemensr/welcome.htm>