Hyperion Label

[kishnevi]

Thanks! I guess I'll go for it anyways, and find something to add to ther order to make sense wrt shipping costs. Don't have all that much from this label so far - but love the Händel arias disc by Alice Coote! Too bad that one's not a best-seller, it really should be!

Check the Please Buy Me page before you order! 

[king ubu]

Check the Please Buy Me page before you order!

Always do so! In fact my first (of but 3 so far) order was made up of such items exclusively. Will order in a week or so earliest, so that list may still change. In what intervals is it updated, do items disappear as soon as someone does actually buy them?

[The new erato]

do items disappear as soon as someone does actually buy them?

Yes they do. Somewhat irregular updating, usually about 5-7 days it seems, but faster has happened.

[king ubu]

good to know, thanks!

[SonicMan46]

One of my favorite labels- their series are usually top notch, as are their soloists/ensembles. And the repetoire is very different from most. Out of the many Hyperion discs that I own, I cannot think of a true dud. If you are in the US, Berkshire are easily the cheapest source at $6.99 per single disc (exlcudes boxes). If you are looking for recommendations, just let us know (and the repetoire that most interests you).

Agree completely w/ Neal - I probably own several hundred (likely more if Dyads are counted as 2 discs) Hyperion CDs, many bought from Berkshire Record Outlet - for those interested, check the link of over 800 offerings of their regular single discs @ $6.99; and in the USA, even a small order of a half dozen CDs adds just a modest S&H charge - not sure what their international rates might be for our members 'across the pond' but a much larger order would be justify to cover that cost.  I'd have to go through my database to even make some suggestions.  Dave

[HIPster]

Just finished playing Dufay's Music For St. James the Greater, by The Binchois Consort.
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Harry's very enthusiastic review of this recording prompted me to purchase it earlier this year; it's an outstanding release!  Probably my favorite recording on this top-notch label.

[mc ukrneal]

Thanks! I guess I'll go for it anyways, and find something to add to ther order to make sense wrt shipping costs. Don't have all that much from this label so far - but love the Händel arias disc by Alice Coote! Too bad that one's not a best-seller, it really should be!

Just finished first listen and I love it. If you like piano concertos from this period, you should like this. Performances are excellent.

[king ubu]

Just finished first listen and I love it. If you like piano concertos from this period, you should like this. Performances are excellent.

Thanks muchly! Just ordered it and the Sampson ... nothing in the "please buy me" section that looked all that enticing right now (reduced to ten on the new website that's a total nuisance ... can't they even let you browse through the catalogue with covers? just a text list that doesn't even mention players is pretty useless to me).

[Todd]

Just learned that Hyperion was sold to UMG: EXCLUSIVE: HYPERION LABEL IS SOLD

Hopefully some discounted big box sets will be forthcoming and Hyperion releases will become streamable.

[J]

Then surely the end of the label as we've known it, yet Todd is thinking only about bargains. 

[Todd]

Then surely the end of the label as we've known it

It is true that some people form emotional connections to companies that peddle luxury products.

[Madiel]

Then surely the end of the label as we've known it, yet Todd is thinking only about bargains.

Todd of course has zero insight into the possibility that luxury can take a lot of effort to make.

At least sometimes quality and cost have a correlation.

I don't have an attachment to Hyperion because it's expensive. I have an attachment to Hyperion because it's bloody good, and that motivates me to pay for it.

[Brian]

I agree with everyone at once. Hyperion was a resolutely old-fashioned company - its only seeming concession to modernity is selling downloads - and the quality of the artistry and physical product are similarly old-fashioned in a good way.

I'm definitely worried that Universal will somehow meddle and ruin this by cutting costs, driving artists like Steven Isserlis away to BIS or Chandos, etc.

BUT.
One major problem Hyperion has always had is keeping their material in print. They are sitting on hundreds, maybe thousands, of way out of print recordings, many by their most celebrated artists. I don't even know what they may have from the 80s and early 90s. I think they even have recordings of people like Svetlanov.

One can characterize this as "thinking about bargains," but if Universal decides to box up all that classic material and sell it on the cheap or upload it to streaming, the result will be very good news for all music collectors.

This is the tradeoff of today's Universal company at large: a truly serious, full-on exploration of the back catalog, but almost no new material. It has obvious disadvantages and advantages too.

[Todd]

I agree with everyone at once. Hyperion was a resolutely old-fashioned company - its only seeming concession to modernity is selling downloads - and the quality of the artistry and physical product are similarly old-fashioned in a good way.

Companies are not people.  It's OK if they die off or get bought and sold.  Physical media is legacy media.  Classical music is something of a holdout when it comes to recorded music sales, though a far, far smaller one than country music.  It's typically good to not be an early adopter of new consumer technologies, but it is just pathetic to hold fast to the past, succumbing to false nostalgia.  Streaming is the here and now and has been for nearly a decade. 

Sticking with classical music, there are more labels selling more diverse recordings of more repertoire in solo instrumental and chamber categories than there were in the 90s.  It is cheaper and quicker to record than ever before.  Technical ability of artists today is at a higher average level than ever.  Only when it comes to big orchestral works and opera recordings with big name orchestras and artists is there a relative dearth of new recordings, and that's because erstwhile major labels dominated those categories.  Fortunately, some big orchestras now release self-published recordings.  And all of this pertains to recordings that one can purchase or pay to stream.  Go to YouTube, and the volume of free and immediately available content, ranging from late 19th Century cylinder recordings, to recordings made today - literally - using cellphones, delights the senses and the imagination.  As it turns out, record company execs take advantage of that and similar platforms.  Much thinking on this forum is antiquated.

Now, if some people here really believe that they know what it takes to run a profitable record company that pumps out the most exciting and comprehensive new content, then they should cobble together a business plan and go forth to lenders and investors and dazzle the world with their executive vision.  Otherwise, it's just whining. 

[Brian]

Hmmm, I was unclear with my attachment of the clause "old-fashioned in a good way." I do think their commitment to artists and repertoire is admirable and world-class. I also think that as a business it is incompetent and stubborn, and has been for some time.

BIS is an example of a very similar label in artistic merit that has managed to set up a download platform, adapt to streaming, and keep all of its back catalog in print (even physically).

[DavidW]

One major problem Hyperion has always had is keeping their material in print.

That even includes cds released only a year ago!

btw if you read the comments section you'll find that Hyperion wasn't paying their artists royalties.  And since they were doing little to increase their visibility (i.e. make their catalog available to stream), it is high time for a change.

[Todd]

I do think their commitment to artists and repertoire is admirable and world-class.

A&R is different than recording and distribution, and I would very much like every label to do an even better than they do now.  Of course, that's not always needed given that it is now not at all uncommon for artists to self-produce.  Hilary Hahn doesn't need a corporate backer.  Neither does Isabel Bayrakdarian.  I suspect Hyperion's biggest stars don't either.  There are alternative paths out there, like the Odradek label, and ambitious artists use GoFundMe and the like and then use existing companies for distribution.  There are more ways to record more music and reach an audience than ever.

Hyperion appears to be a simple case of the current private owner wanting to retire and so he sold the company.  Good for him.  He owned it.  It was his property.  It was not a charity or community undertaking.  He didn't owe anyone anything, customers least of all.  Now UMG will recycle older titles and some artists will likely be moved to the Decca or DG labels to make new recordings, while others move on.  They'll all be fine. 

[Spotted Horses]

I find that disheartening news. Hyperion was a company owned and operated by a group of people who had a certain artistic vision. I seriously doubt that they are looking for some synergy with Universal to energize that vision. I suspect they have gotten tired of the rat race and want to cash out and retire. Universal may start offering Hyperion content in inexpensive big boxes, but that doesn't particularly appeal to me because I can't think of much Hyperion back catalog that I am interested in and don't already have. I am mainly expecting their oncoming recording products and general culture will be scuttled. That is a loss.

[Brian]

Thanks for pointing out the comments section. There are a lot of dumb comments on there but I will quote three interesting ones that might provide useful info.

"Former Universal (and Indie) employee here. Future of Hyperion new release schedule far from certain medium to long term. UMG may just be happy to swipe Hyperion catalogue, get (some of) the albums up on Spotify and selectively cherry pick other tracks into compilations alongside material from DECCA/DG etc. This is what happened to ASV when UMG acquired it as part of their buy out of Sanctuary."

"As a Hyperion artist I can tell you that not one of us gets any royalties from the label. That does not mean that I am not supportive of the label but I wouldn't want readers of this column to be misinformed." ("Stevie")

"Finally, an artist who has worked for Hyperion (like myself) is telling the truth! Hyperion wanted my Gershwin recordings but as usual refused to pay a royalty so instead I licensed the recordings to ASV (who did pay a royalty). Thank goodness I did that as BOTH companies were bought out by Universal but had I given in to Ted Perry's demands at Hyperion I would now have no control of my recordings, as Universal would own them. Thankfully they're still in my control. Young artists out there, beware! Maintain control of your music because you never know what the future might bring!" (Jack Gibbons)

-

By the way, Gibbons' Gershwin recordings are now available on physical CD from Amazon from a different label, not ASV, but I could not find them streaming on Spotify or Qobuz. Only a single ASV Alkan album for streaming.

It is disheartening to see the comparison to ASV.

The best "major" labels at curating old catalogs are Warner and Universal specifically if Cyrus Meher-Homji gets involved.

[Madiel]

Hyperion did already do box sets. I own several. Probably they didn't do it as much as they could have.

I do wish they'd gone into streaming with the classical-oriented apps.