Naxos to distribute Warner Classics

[Brian]

From an interview with Klaus Heymann...

"We started as a budget label, but we are now a mixed service provider to the industry," Heymann said. "We provide logistical services for DVD labels. We distribute many independent labels. Warner will come to us in September. The last thing I wanted was to be a distributor. It's a headache, but it allows us to do other things."

Also: they will be issuing some CDs on Blu-Ray Audio. And if you're curious...

"We release 30 a month, quite a few digital only," Heymann said. "There are 149 orchestral recordings in the pipeline now; 174 chamber music, 148 instrumental, 85 vocal/choral. More than 700 in all. I told my staff not to take on new projects for a year, maybe a year and a half."

Among the projects that will be put on hold is a Mahler symphony cycle with Alsop and the BSO that had been discussed. A Prokofiev series is still on track to begin next season. "Most people think an orchestra should still have a recorded presence," Heymann said. "A recording is not just a physical product. You get airplay all over the world. Every generation wants to leave recordings for posterity."

[karlhenning]

"We release 30 a month, quite a few digital only," Heymann said. "There are 149 orchestral recordings in the pipeline now; 174 chamber music, 148 instrumental, 85 vocal/choral. More than 700 in all. I told my staff not to take on new projects for a year, maybe a year and a half."

No Henning contract anytime soon, I see ; )

[DavidRoss]

There's a lot in that catalog that deserves reissue.  For instance, Berglund's last Sibelius cycle, with the COE on Finlandia, is terrific but Warner let it go out of print PDQ.

[Mirror Image]

There's a lot in that catalog that deserves reissue.  For instance, Berglund's last Sibelius cycle, with the COE on Finlandia, is terrific but Warner let it go out of print PDQ.

There's a lot of Warner Classics recordings that are out-of-print and are in dire need of reissue. Warner Classics also had terrible distribution. Case in point, last year I had to order Andrew Davis' RVW symphony cycle from overseas, because it wasn't available in the United States. Hopefully, things of this nature will change with Naxos at the helm.

[The new erato]

There's a lot of Warner Classics recordings that are out-of-print and are in dire need of reissue. Warner Classics also had terrible distribution. Case in point, last year I had to order Andrew Davis' RVW symphony cycle from overseas, because it wasn't available in the United States. Hopefully, things of this nature will change with Naxos at the helm.

but.... but....but..... how wil a change in distribution influence their reissue policy=?

[karlhenning]

Well, at the very least, it should be available at some point via their on-line library.

Personally, I am not compelled by that style of distribution.  At least in its current state.

[Guido]

I'm a bit worried about them stopping doing any new recordings for a year...

[Brian]

Well, at the very least, it should be available at some point via their on-line library.

Personally, I am not compelled by that style of distribution.  At least in its current state.

As a Naxos Music Library member, I am very compelled by it.  But in all seriousness, Naxos makes member CDs easy to find at Amazon, MDT, Presto, Arkiv, JPC, with the exception of disowned recordings from the early 1990s by Naxos itself.

[karlhenning]

I'm a bit worried about them stopping doing any new recordings for a year...

No, I am sure there are still new releases in the pipeline;  I read that as saying that capacity cannot bear any ad hoc expansion.

[Bulldog]

As a Naxos Music Library member, I am very compelled by it.  But in all seriousness, Naxos makes member CDs easy to find at Amazon, MDT, Presto, Arkiv, JPC, with the exception of disowned recordings from the early 1990s by Naxos itself.

Did you notice today that Intim Musik is on the Naxos board?  There are some fine chamber music discs now available.

[oabmarcus]

Did you notice today that Intim Musik is on the Naxos board?  There are some fine chamber music discs now available.

Yes I have. How's Intim?

[Bulldog]

Yes I have. How's Intim?

I already have a few of its chamber recordings - a very fine label.

[Mirror Image]

but.... but....but..... how wil a change in distribution influence their reissue policy=?

Good question, which I don't have an answer to. Logically, I don't think reissuing recordings has anything to do with distribution. I guess what I'm saying here is that with better distribution perhaps more recordings that aren't readily available here in the US will now be since Naxos will handle this side of their business and, thus, will be able to reach a wider geographic of consumers.

[CRCulver]

A great deal of recordings from labels like Erato that were bought up by Warner were in fact reissued under Warner's Apex line. However, this line wasn't promoted much, and stores like Amazon never made these reissues very visible in search results.

I suspect most of Finlandia is going to be left unreissued, however. Warner bought Fazer Music (the owners of the Finlandia label) essentially to have access to its very lucrative pop music publishing side. The classical record label was left to die.

[Daverz]

Finlandia was left to die.

What a crime.  You'd think the Finns would be pissed. 

Perhaps Naxos will encourage Warner to have a CD-R on-demand program like they have for Marco Polo (or is that just an Amazon thing?) or to offer their back catalog on the download service

[The new erato]

I suspect most of Finlandia is going to be left unreissued, however. Warner bought Fazer Music (the owners of the Finlandia label) essentially to have access to its very lucrative pop music publishing side. The classical record label was left to die.

Then they should spin off their mastertapes to Naxos (or Brilliant). I mean, some money is better than no money.

[canninator]

No Henning contract anytime soon, I see ; )

Although having said that I know of two people who took finished recordings to Naxos (solo instrumental) and Naxos put them out under their banner as they liked the product. There is no money to be made that way but it gives exposure.

[CRCulver]

Then they should spin off their mastertapes to Naxos (or Brilliant). I mean, some money is better than no money.

Peter Gelb, former head of Sony Classical, reportedly said that he would "rather lose a million on a movie score than make $10,000 on a small shit". That's the thinking in a lot of places these days.

Besides, a lot of those old Finlandia recordings were only made through significant funding from the Finnish state, and probably were barely (or not at all) profitable. I mean, if Brilliant were to reissue the old Finlandia recordings of Paavo Heininen's opera or Kimmo Hakola's first quartet, I'd be surprised if it sold more than a couple of hundred copies total.

[karlhenning]

Although having said that I know of two people who took finished recordings to Naxos (solo instrumental) and Naxos put them out under their banner as they liked the product. There is no money to be made that way but it gives exposure.

Yes, exactly.  I am not dreaming of any wealth in connection with such a matter.

[karlhenning]

Heck, I can simplify that statement:  I am not dreaming of any wealth ; )