Recordings That You Are Considering

[kishnevi]

I agree. They're also going the 2 for 1 route too - the one CD (I don't know if it's the series name or just that CD) I saw is called Everybody's Mozart.

I have one of those--it comprises five of the symphonies from the Mackerras cycle (32, 35, 36, 38, and 39); for $9.99 it probably can't be beat if you don't have those performances already.  I've seen another one with that title devoted to opera excerpts; I have one called Everybody's Tchaikovsky which has Symphony 4 and Romeo and Juliet (Zinman, Baltimore SO); Symphony 5 (Previn, Royal PO), Piano Concerto 1 (Gutierrez, Zinman, Baltimore SO)--again, for $9.99 it can't be beat; and there's another devoted to Beethoven Symphonies. 

But $9.99 for reissues of older releases is probably not the best way to run a record label.

[Coopmv]

But $9.99 for reissues of older releases is probably not the best way to run a record label.

No doubt.  Telarc also does not have the roster of artists like its much bigger competitors.  Its future does not look too promising.  If even EMI is struggling, Telarc will have an even tougher time ...

[kishnevi]

No doubt.  Telarc also does not have the roster of artists like its much bigger competitors.  Its future does not look too promising.  If even EMI is struggling, Telarc will have an even tougher time ...

Indeed.  I saw something the other day that Simone Dinnerstein has now signed with EMI (which in the circumstances may be from fire to frying pan), and she was probably one of the bigger draws in their stable.

[jlaurson]

Telarc has been dissolved.  The company that took them over has the rights to distribute their old recordings but there is no production company and the founders are gone.

Who told you that?   I'm still working with the Telarc people and regularly receive their new releases... so I am rather surprised to hear you say that.

[Scarpia]

Who told you that?   I'm still working with the Telarc people and regularly receive their new releases... so I am rather surprised to hear you say that.

Depends on how you define "Telarc."  In my mind, the label was defined by it's production team, which produced recordings of extraordinary technical quality.  It's roster of recording artists was never particularly distinguished.  The founders have quit the company, Telarc no longer produces its own recordings, so I don't think Telarc exists in any substantial sense.  You can say Decca still exists, but since they have closed their operations in London they just the red/blue division of Deutsche Grammophon.

In any case , 90% of the Telarc recordings I own were purchased in the past year (although mostly productions from before 2000).  There has been a huge influx of dirt-cheap Telarc recordings available on Berkshire Record Outlet.

[Coopmv]

If you had read the interview with Hahn that accompanied the release you would have learned that the idea came, not from DG marketing, but from Hahn herself, who takes credit for convincing DG to support the project.

If this recording turns out to be a dud, it will be discontinued soon enough ...

[Coopmv]

The same way that price cuts on buggy-whips wiped out profits for automobile manufacturers.   

They are not even logical comparisons ...   

[Brian]

It's roster of recording artists was never particularly distinguished.

Actually, Telarc has recorded Andre Previn, the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano, Paavo Jarvi, the Cleveland Orchestra with Christoph Dohnanyi, Sir Charles Mackerras, Garrick Ohlsson, Donald Runnicles, the London Symphony Orchestra with Jerry Goldsmith, the Vienna Philharmonic, and Lorin Maazel.

[The new erato]

If this recording turns out to be a dud, it will be discontinued soon enough ...

It sales that decides, not whether it's a dud. For die-hard fans, these two are NOT, or extremely weakly, correlated.

[Daverz]

Actually, Telarc has recorded Andre Previn, the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano, Paavo Jarvi, the Cleveland Orchestra with Christoph Dohnanyi, Sir Charles Mackerras, Garrick Ohlsson, Donald Runnicles, the London Symphony Orchestra with Jerry Goldsmith, the Vienna Philharmonic, and Lorin Maazel.

I think many of the Lopez-Cobos/Cincinatti recordings are excellent, including some good Bruckner and Mahler recordings.  I'll take them over a "star" like Sir Simon any day.

[Bulldog]

I think many of the Lopez-Cobos/Cincinatti recordings are excellent, including some good Bruckner and Mahler recordings.  I'll take them over a "star" like Sir Simon any day.

My basic problem with Telarc has been its sorry cadre of keyboardists led by Michael Murray and John O'Conor.  Each of them recorded about 40 discs, and none of those recordings are worth much.

[Scarpia]

Actually, Telarc has recorded Andre Previn, the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano, Paavo Jarvi, the Cleveland Orchestra with Christoph Dohnanyi, Sir Charles Mackerras, Garrick Ohlsson, Donald Runnicles, the London Symphony Orchestra with Jerry Goldsmith, the Vienna Philharmonic, and Lorin Maazel.

The number of VPO recordings can be counted on one hand.  The Mackerras recordings are indeed excellent, the Cleveland recordings likewise.  But the bulk of the recordings from recent years are of the Jarvi/Cincinnati, Cobos/Cincinatti, Atlanta/Levi, Atlanta/Spano variety, which for me is not particularly distinguished.

[Keemun]

Here are a couple of discs I'm considering:

 

[Coopmv]

It sales that decides, not whether it's a dud. For die-hard fans, these two are NOT, or extremely weakly, correlated.

If a CD sells poorly, doesn't it qualify as a dud?

[SonicMan46]

My basic problem with Telarc has been its sorry cadre of keyboardists led by Michael Murray and John O'Conor.  Each of them recorded about 40 discs, and none of those recordings are worth much.

In general, I don't buy a lot of Telarc recordings and have actually replaced a number over the years; but concerning John O'Conor, I have owned his John Field Nocturnes disc from the beginning, and still enjoy - but have not purchased much else by this pianist.   

[Coopmv]

In general, I don't buy a lot of Telarc recordings and have actually replaced a number over the years; but concerning John O'Conor, I have owned his John Field Nocturnes disc from the beginning, and still enjoy - but have not purchased much else by this pianist.   

Don't know much about John O'Conor but have read somewhere that he was a student of the great Wilhelm Kempff.  Michael Murray is a lousy organist, which I found out over WNCN, the now defunct second NYC classical FM over twenty years ago.  All in all, I have owned 95% of all the Telarc releases that are worth owning - mainly those by Mackerras, Dohnanyi, Previn and Maazel.

[SonicMan46]

If a CD sells poorly, doesn't it qualify as a dud?

Stuart - not sure that the statement above is true; classical music recordings account for only 3% or so (have not checked recently) of CD purchases, so many can probably be considered as 'duds' by your definition.

Now, I've purchased MUCHO CDs from BRO and many of these fall into the definition of 'duds', as defined, i.e. not selling well, but I must say that I've acquired hundreds of wonderful classical performances through this service - selling poorly from a classical music perspective has little to do w/ the quality of the performance(s) - but hey just my opinion - Dave 

[Coopmv]

Stuart - not sure that the statement above is true; classical music recordings account for only 3% or so (have not checked recently) of CD purchases, so many can probably be considered as 'duds' by your definition.

Now, I've purchased MUCHO CDs from BRO and many of these fall into the definition of 'duds', as defined, i.e. not selling well, but I must say that I've acquired hundreds of wonderful classical performances through this service - selling poorly from a classical music perspective has little to do w/ the quality of the performance(s) - but hey just my opinion - Dave 

Dave,

Comparisons naturally have to be done within the classical genre.  Comparing a Beatles CD to a classical CD makes no sense at all.

[Bulldog]

If a CD sells poorly, doesn't it qualify as a dud?

Only to bean counters.

[Scarpia]

My basic problem with Telarc has been its sorry cadre of keyboardists led by Michael Murray and John O'Conor.  Each of them recorded about 40 discs, and none of those recordings are worth much.

O'Conor's recordings of the Mozart Concerti are definitely worth hearing, IMO.